Game of Life
by chibitrunk
Summary: Bulma invented a simulation room so Vegeta could train with opponents from the past. All was going well until Trunks & Goten decided to create an enemy that turned on them. Now the Briefs & the Sons have to find a way to defeat it and save Trunks. PostBuu
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ

**Game of Life**

**Prologue**

* * *

><p>Bulma picked up her pack of cigarettes and removed one from the box. She lit it and took a deep drag. Her body relaxed as she exhaled the content from her lung. She flicked the ashes in the tray, which was already filled with a mountain high of burned butts. Her fingers returned to the keyboard and immediately they danced across the keys.<p>

Three years. Three years of nonstop fun with the computer as her regular companion, Bulma thought as she rolled her eyes. How in the world did she let Vegeta persuaded her into this? His charm? His oozing good-looking? His persuasive sexy voice? His rare moment of showing a hint of affection?

Maybe.

Bulma shook her head.

No.

It was all because he had challenged her and Bulma had fallen right into his trap.

* * *

><p><em>Three years ago…<em>

Vegeta stood by the door with a solemn look. After a second of hesitation, he walked over and sat beside her on their bed.

He returned, Bulma thought. She was confident he would. It had been especially hard on Vegeta to accept the fact that his action almost caused the destruction of Earth. She knew he did not care for the human that resided on her planet but she was darn sure he cared for her and their son. He might even felt a little responsible for their death.

"Vegeta. What is it?" Bulma asked, gently placing a hand on his arm. Bulma expected Vegeta to flinch. but he did not. A rare reaction or lack thereof, Bulma thought. Whatever was on Vegeta's mind, it had to be serious.

"Bulma…" Vegeta cast his eyes on the floor. "When I found out about your death and the Trunks, I was pissed and at the same time, I felt shame..." Vegeta paused. "and powerless. I did not protect you and our son. I failed you."

Bulma should have been surprised by the sudden declaration of weakness from the proud prince, but she was not. The man beside her was changed. He had tossed away his pride and admitted he was second best to Goku. He had tried to protect them by sacrificing his life, knowing full well that death would send him to neither hell or heaven. His soul would be consumed by nothingness. For that, she had forgiven him for the action he took at the tournament.

"Vegeta, I've forgiven you. At the end of the day, all I really care about is...that you came back to us."

Vegeta looked away. Bulma could feel he was uncomfortable. She could see the guilt haunting his dark eyes. Another rare emotion from the prince. He was probably also not used to the fact that another would trust him so unconditionally.

"Bulma, no matter what you say. I failed to protect you. I do not like this feeling. I do not want to feel powerless again. I want to be stronger. I no longer wish to bypass Kakarott in power. I..I" Bulma had never seen the man in such discomfort.

"I want to get stronger so no more harm fall upon you and Trunks ever again."

She felt her chest swelled with so much admiration and love for the prince. Her husband, who had been the biggest threat on Earth, just swore his eternal commitment to her and to Trunks. She finally attained the confirmation she seek from him after all these years.

"You will get stronger. I can enhance the gravity room any way you like so you can get stronger." Bulma rested her head on the Saiyan's chest. It felt right. She felt safe. She knew she picked the perfect man.

"The gravity room is not enough. It took me seven years to ascend to Super Saiyan two and that was with the boost from Babidi. Kakarott, on the other hand, turned into Super Saiyan 3." She felt his chest rose and fell. She could feel the tension as he spoke those words. However, she did not feel the animosity she once felt when he spoke of Goku.

"Goku has a simpler brain. His brain cells only know how to eat, sleep and fight." Bulma joked.

"No, he had one advantage over me during the seven years. He did not spend those years training alone. He sparred with stronger opponents than him, thus increasing his power to the next level." She felt two hands on her shoulder. Vegeta pushed her gently away from his chest and looked at her.

"I want something similar. I want to have an opponent I can train with."

"Goku's around now. You can train with him." She couldn't tell where this conversation was heading.

She could hear Vegeta snickered. "Kakarott is the worst sparring partner. It gets my blood boiling just thinking about it. He always thinks he is doing me a favor by keeping his strength at my level. The condescending fool."

"He doesn't mean it."

"Which makes it worse."

Bulma didn't want to continue the conversation involving Goku. It only stirred up bad feelings within Vegeta. "Is there something I can do?"

Vegeta let go one of her shoulder and pulled out an item from his pocket and handed to her. It looked like a game of some sort. She remembered buying this particular game for Trunks. _Was it Fighting Bout 3?_

"What's this?"

"It is a game. I saw Trunks playing it once and thought this might be the solution to my training problem."

Bulma flipped the cartridge back and forth, examining it. She didn't understand how this game could possibly help him. She looked at him and furrowed her brow. "I'm not sure I understand."

"This game is a fighting game where you, the player, can pick any opponents of your choice to battle. When you beat the opponent, you reach the next level. Their powers raise and so do yours."

She listened to his words carefully and the thought finally clicked. "You want me to build a real life version of this game?"

Vegeta smirked. "I am sure this is within your ability."

"Do you know what you're asking of me? We're not talking a simple gravity room enhancement," Bulma said, frowning.

The smirk never left his face. "I know, but who other than you could accomplish this?"

She felt a challenge hidden behind her prince's tone. Bulma was not about to show weaknesses in front of Vegeta, especially not when he questioned her best attribute, her brain. "I did say I'll enhance the gravity room. I suppose this is a type of enhancements"

"Good, now what I want is not merely a carbon copy of the game. I want to change the basic structure of this game."

"What kind of change?" Bulma was not sure she liked the idea Vegeta was proposing.

"Well, let me start with creation of the enemies…"

* * *

><p><em>Back to present<em>

_Within my ability, my ass_, Bulma thought. She would not have agreed to the request had she known this project could take away three years of her life. Now that she thought of it, he had tricked her with his act of showing his vulnerable side, luring her into agreement without second thoughts. He got skills, Bulma admitted, scowling at her own naivety.

Bulma kneaded her neck to loosen the tension from staring at the screen all day. She felt the strain and her head hurt from all the caffeine she was consuming. Her lungs felt polluted as well. She had not seen the sun for ages. Well, she was exaggerating.

Her finger hovered above the green button. "This is it. This is the moment that will free me from this hellhole." She muttered.

She pushed the button and the room illuminated with bright fluorescent light. The Capsule Corporation logo appeared on the wall size computer screen.

"Welcome to Capsule Corps Simulation. I am Giddymouse, your computer guide. How may I assist you today?"

Bulma smiled with great satisfaction. "I'm a genius."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **All I can say right now is this is the beginning of a whole lots of trouble for the Briefs and the Sons. Anyways, I would love to hear your comments and I love constructive criticism! It is THE only way I can improve. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 1 The Simulation Room

**Game of Life**

**Chapter 1 – The Simulation Room**

* * *

><p><em>One year later…<em>

Vegeta tapped the green button. The screen blinked and a pink circle slowly started to enlarge. From the top, two ears materialized followed by two buck teeth in the center. Lastly, two huge purple eyes emerged. "Welcome to Capsule Corporation Simulation. I am Giddymouse, your computer guide. How may I assist you today?"

Vegeta cringed when he heard the high pitched sound. It reminded him of the time when Trunks dragged his fingernails against the chalkboard. Even to this day, his bone still chilled from the thought.

Vegeta returned his attention to the screen. The critter was now pouncing across it, stopping every few inches to rub its' paws, batting its' eyes then continued the path. Vegeta shoved his fist between his armpits and tightened his hold, trying with greatest effort from blasting the rodent to pieces. His jaw hurt from clenching his teeth so hard. It never ceased to amaze him that he had developed such control over the past years. The rodent would have been disintegrated already regardless of the woman's threat.

His woman, he thought, was a genius and she was also cunning and evil to the core. She had created this room to his utmost satisfaction, but at the same time, she sprinkled her little feminine touches. It was a way to get back at him for putting her through hell. At least that was she claimed.

Vegeta felt his mouth growing sour for what he must do next. "Giddymouse…" he hissed. As if looking at the thing was not dreadful enough, the despicable woman had made sure that commands could not be done without calling the damn rodent by the name. His woman said that he should be used to it but now. _Used to it, my ass,_ he thought.

"Activate level 4. Enemy today, Perfect Cell. Setting, Planet Vegeta-sei." He finally commanded after he cleansed his mouth of the venomous word.

"Please input password."

Feeling a slight rush of blood to his cheek, he answered, "I love you, Bulma." _Damn that woman_.

The little critter started to dance and a few second later, it replied. "Password accepted. Level 4 initiating…"

Vegeta took a step back. The metal surroundings started to shift. The room dimmed. Dark clouds appeared above him and the moon shined through the dense mist. Peak of mountains gradually emerged from the metal base. The land was dried as he last remembered. Stained and broken pieces of skulls and bones scattered throughout the land with torn faded armors laying beside their owners.

Bulma had outdone herself, Vegeta thought, narrowing his eyes to see pass the horizon beyond the ridged terrain. He could make out damaged structures that stubbornly remained grounded to the dirt. One would think that woman had programmed every bit of details down to the last grain of sulfur dust, but she didn't. This had been drawn from the memories of his childhood.

Vegeta lowered his gaze to the ground. He was unsure of his feeling at the moment. There was a sense of lost and nostalgia. He missed his home planet, but if given the choice or had a choice, he would probably not return, at least not anymore. Though, he would admit that he did enjoy coming back to this setting on occasions just to revisit his old warrior's way.

Vegeta snapped back when he heard rocks crumpling in the distant. He sensed a sudden spike of energy and knew the game was about to start. The air sizzled and pale sparks zapped around him. He folded his arms and waited for his foe to materialize. Group of electrical blocks formed not far from him, piecing together like a jigsaw puzzle. When the image solidified, the tall spotted lizard stood before him, with his arm crossed, mirroring Vegeta's stance.

"Initiation complete." The computer, which was the last physical item from his world, was finally swallowed by the black hole, disappearing into thin air.

Level 4 Cell was definitely a greater degree stronger than level 3. Vegeta smirked as he remembered beating the living shit out of Cell last week. It had been a satisfied victory, though the win had left him bedridden for a couple days. Now that he had unlocked the next level, he was anxious to test Cell's new power.

Vegeta studied Cell before deciding how to advance. He knew that his current form might not be enough to beat this new level, but he didn't want to transform into Super Saiyan so early in the game. After minutes of a stare down session, Cell continued to show no sign of movement. Growing impatient, Vegeta decided to make the first move. He dashed toward the green lizard and attacked it with a roundhouse kick to the neck and then sent a punch to the jaw followed by another between the eyes. The green lizard absorbed all the blows as if he was assaulted by a child.

Growling, he threw another series of punches and kicks directly at Cell's head. Cell cocked his head, emotion voided from its eyes. Cell snapped his head back and straightened his arm. With minimal strength, he tapped Vegeta in the jaw. Vegeta felt his body shooting across the barren land and into a mountain and out the other end. He curled his body into a semi-ball to lessen the damage while passing through the hard jagged surface.

"Shit!" Vegeta spat the blood from his mouth. He had underestimated this new level. When Cell started toward him, Vegeta gathered his ki and felt heat flowing through his vein. With a scream, golden flame surged from his feet and elevated to his head, engulfing him like a blazing shield. Rocks lifted into the air and crackled could be heard in the distant. Vegeta dashed forward and Cell followed suit, each landing a clean punch to the others' jaw. Cell did not move an inch, and once again, Vegeta was knocked through another layer of mountains.

_It's impossible Cell could gain all these powers from just one level_, Vegeta growled, pushing against the sharp rock on the ground to stand. He wiped the blood dripping from the forehead with the back of his hand. "Let's see how you deal with Super Saiyan two!" Vegeta roared as he puffed his chest and stretched his arms back. Lightning sparks encircled his body and his golden hair stood sharper from the nape of his neck. Cell smirked. _Smirked?_ Vegeta was sure that the programming did not include personalities input. The character should not be able to display any emotions.

This time, Cell was in the attack mode. Cell flew toward him and swung his fist into his chest. For a minute, he could not breathe, air was caught in his throat. He clutched his chest and felt a few broken bones. Just when he recovered, Cell brought his knee up, ready to attack him again on the chest. It was closed, but Vegeta managed to grab it. With a bit of power up, he spun Cell and swung him into the rocky terrain. Rocks exploded beneath the mountain base. Not a second pass before Cell emerged and stroll toward him. Vegeta did not see a scratch on him. _Damn._

Cell smirked again. Vegeta was sure he saw it this time. He made a mental note to have Bulma checked out the system. There might be a glitch somewhere. He pushed that thought away and returned to the battle.

Vegeta shot forward, meeting Cell half way. They were soon engaged in another round of punches. Each hit that connected with Vegeta caused him to double over. Before he knew it, he was on the ground, breathing hard. Blood flowed freely from the gashes on his left arm. He shook his head, trying to fling the perspiration from his eyes. This could not be possible. He didn't remember the transition from level 2 to 3 was this different. Did someone tampered with the system? Vegeta thought.

He looked up only to meet the oncoming fist in his eyes. He dropped sideway. The pain was excruciating. He clenched his teeth to prevent a howl from escaping. "Shit."

"Player has sustained 50% damage… System disengaging in five…four." The dark surrounding swirled. Lights encased the dark cloud and mountains, pushing the scenery into the background. Before the planet disappeared, Cell managed to land another kick to his left arm, causing him to crash against the metal wall.

"two…one…system shutdown." The computer screen appeared and the critter danced around once again. "Have a great day." Then the screen went black, leaving Vegeta on the floor, clutching his broken ribs. He rolled onto his back and gritted his teeth. _Dammit! I didn't even damage the sucker one bit._

Vegeta pushed himself to a kneeling position. Beads of sweat and bloods dripped on the metal base. He placed his hands on the wall to steady his stance. With small steps, he made his way to the door and pressed the indented button. _This is going to be interesting..._.

* * *

><p>"AHHHHHH!" I'm soooo bored!" Trunks screamed, pulling his hair. He rolled right then left and finally he rolled next to Goten. He looked up and saw Goten's eyes glued to the television, only his thumbs moved the entire time. "Goten! Think of something to do before I go insane from boredom!"<p>

Goten sat cross-legged on Trunks floor in the living room with a controller in his hand, completely engrossed in the game. He did not even hear Trunks even though his friend was shouting beside him. _It was just five more HP and the bastard dies…_

Suddenly the screen went black. His eyes widened in shock as they fell upon the hand on the console. He looked up at his grinning friend and yelled, "Trunks! The last time I saved was an hour ago. Do you know how many secrets I uncovered within last hour? Now it's gone…" Goten let out a frustrated growl. He narrowed his eyes and glared at Trunks, air ready to steam out his head.

"You were ignoring me! I told you I'm bored. Beside this is my game. I can do whatever I want." Trunks crossed his arms and puffed out his cheek. All these could be avoided if Goten had only acknowledged his existence even for a second. But no, for the last hour, Goten did not even say a single word to him.

"If you want to be that way then I'm going home. You can entertain yourself with your game. Spoil brat!" Goten stood up and stomped toward the door. He couldn't believe Trunks. He didn't remember him being this spoiled when they were younger. Sure, he had always been bossy and probably a little arrogant like his father, but this was something else.

"Wait, Goten! I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm just sooo bored." Trunks ran over to him and grabbed him by the elbow. He did feel a little bit of guilt when Goten was serious about leaving. He knew he crossed the line this time.

Goten stopped and turned. Once they were face to face, he saw Trunks clapped two hands together and bowed. "I'm sorry, Goten! Forgive me?" Trunks lifted his face and gave him an innocent and apologetic smile. _Damn him!_

"I promise to never do it again." Trunks drew an imaginary cross on his chest.

Goten let out a heavy sigh and nodded. "This is the last time, Trunks, and I mean it." Goten felt his friend's hand patted this shoulder and steered him toward the living room. The console remained on the living room floor with the red light blinking. Goten was disappointed that he wasn't able to beat it. Maybe next time, he thought.

"If I break it, I will go to hell and never return."

"Don't say that. Knowing you, you will break it again." Goten plopped on the sofa and leaned his head back. He didn't feel like returning to the game since all his hard work was already wiped out.

Trunks plopped down beside him. "Nah. You probably beat the game before I have another chance."

Goten rolled his eyes. He felt like rebutting but decided not to. Beside, he could never stay mad at Trunks for long. He was probably not helping his friend's spoiled behavior by forgiving him so easily, but it was never in his blood to hold grudges. He found it tiring to be angry for an extended period of time. Feeling his body relaxed from the thought, he said, "Whatever. So what do you want to do now?"

Trunks grinned. His eyes widened, trouble written all over his face. "Since my mom and dad are not home right now, I'm thinking we can break the code and activate dad's file."

Trouble, indeed. They were under strict order not to enter the simulation room without supervision. Even with supervision, they were only allowed to fight small minions created by Bulma. Unless they have the password, there was no way the computer would allow them access to Vegeta's file. "I don't know, if we're caught in that room, we will be in big trouble."

"Oh, come on, Goten. They're not home until tomorrow. They hardly leave us home by ourselves. This is the perfect chance to try it." Trunks was no longer sitting still. As he tried to explain his master plan, he started to bounce on the sofa with excitement. "Aren't you bored with fighting the small fries? Don't you want to test out my dad's opponent?"

The idea was tempting and it might even work. Even if they didn't crack the password, a few sparring sessions with the small minions were better than sitting around with a very bored Trunks. "Maybe, but didn't your mom locked the door before leaving?"

Trunks' grin spread across his face. "I got the key to the simulation room. I made a copy of it before they left."

Goten lightened up with interest. "Okay, let's do it."

* * *

><p>"Seriously, Vegeta. How many times did I tell you not to overdo it?"<p>

"Woman! How many times did I tell you it was not my fault the damn computer decided to boost Cell's level exponentially?" Vegeta looked ahead into the traffic. All he saw was brake lights snaking down the freeway. He heard car honking behind him, in front of him and everywhere around him. _Damn!_ He shut his eyes and mentally nursed his growing headache.

"You could have disengaged the system," said Bulma, staring at him accusingly.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. Sure he could have shut the system down midway, but it was against his nature to end a fight prematurely. Beside, she had programmed the computer to shut down immediately when he suffered damages above 50%. There was no possible way he could have been injured to the point of death. She had made sure of that when he had come pretty close.

"Bulma, these injuries are nothing. I will heal." He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. This traffic was aggravating him. He would have flown to their destination, but Bulma had insisted they took the car instead. Of course, he tried to fly her against her will, but that action was quickly aborted once they were in the air. His woman had turned blue from the motion and poured all her overnight contents onto their fellow Earthling. Poor fools.

"I'm worried about you. Each time you stepped into that damn room and leave with cuts and bruises, I couldn't help but feel it was all my fault," Bulma said with a slight sniffle.

Vegeta darted his eyes to the right. He could see droplets forming from the edge of her eyes. _Not again!_ Ever since she was pregnant, her mood swings were unpredictable. Sometimes she would be normal, but most often than not, she would burst into tears for absolutely no reason at all. "Woman. I apologized! What more do you want from me?" Where was the woman from a year ago? Where did the smart, cunning and damn sexy woman go? This woman was reduced to a mind of a crying teenager. He felt like he was the father of two children instead of one. _Oh Kami, give me back my woman!_

She took a deep breath and held her tears. "I want you to promise me that you will not use the room until I figure out the glitch."

"Fine." He gritted his teeth. The simulation room was his only sanctuary away from her hormonal outburst. Now even that haven was confiscated and he was not happy.

"Thank you! Vegeta!" his woman squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck, crushing his windpipe.

"Woman! If that room does not kill me, you will! Now get off me!" Vegeta pried her hand away and sneered at her.

"Opps, sorry." She moved back and readjusted her position so she was facing forward. She rested her elbow on the side of the window and settled her head onto the base of her palm. Her face became serious once again. "Why do you think the doctor wanted me to stay overnight?"

"Routine checkup. That is all." Vegeta shrugged. Her doctor had expressed concerns on the pregnancy, giving him bullshit about bearing a child this late in her life. He told them there might be complications during the delivery. The doctor called last night and asked Bulma to visit him and to plan an overnight stay. He told them it was a routine procedure. Vegeta turned his head to study her physical appearance. In human terms, she was in her third trimester and it definitely showed. The bump on her stomach was growing with each passing days. His woman was strong. There was no reason to worry. He shove the thought away.

"I guess. You think the kids will be alright home by themselves? You think we should ask Chi Chi or Gohan to watch them while we're gone?"

"Stop babying him, Bulma. The kid needs to learn how to take care of himself."

"But what if he's hungry and…" Vegeta rolled his eyes again. If he ever fathered another child, he swore he would pay hell a visit.

* * *

><p>"Alright. We're in." Trunks couldn't believe his luck when his mom left the key hanging around the kitchen. He was clever enough to brush the card underneath a stack of cookbooks without anyone noticing. When his mom and dad retired for the night, he sneaked back to the kitchen, retrieved the card and copied it into his own computer. It took him a few weeks to figure out how to hack into the code and replicate another key, but he did it. He got to admit, he was glad he had inherited his mom's brilliant brain. He kept that a secret though. Feinting stupidity often has its advantages.<p>

"Trunks, are you sure you want to do this?" Goten asked as he did a quick scan of the room. It was dark. He could hardly see past his own feet. He quickened his step so he wouldn't fall behind.

Trunks sighed as he fumbled around the wall to find the switch. He felt a slight indentation and pushed forward. The room lit up. Every time he came in here, he was always in awe. His mom modeled this area after the gravity room, only this was grander in size. The computer, located in the far end, was the most impressive piece of equipment he ever seen. There was not one but thousands of CPU stacked against the left side of the wall. The big mounted monitor on the wall had been paneled seamlessly together by smaller ones. His brainy side will never be bored of the sight. Trunks moved forward to the central computer. Trunks motioned Goten to follow. "There's no turning back, Goten."

"I really have a bad feeling about this, Trunks." Goten said as he scanned the door behind him, making sure that they were indeed alone. He felt something was off, but he couldn't pinpoint the source. He pulled on Trunks' shirt to stop him from going further. "I'm serious, Trunks. We should leave and wait for your parents to come back before using the room."

Trunks threw his head back and glared at Goten, annoyance filled his face. Trunks always got his way. Whatever he wanted, he got. No one had denied him of anything since the Buu's incident. And he was not about to be stopped by Goten of all people. He forced himself to soften his face before convincing his friend. "What's the fun in that? If we don't see it now, we will not have another chance. We don't have to fight them if you reaaally don't want to. We can just take a tiny peep."

Trunks sensed his friend caving. With a little more persuasion, Goten would definitely give in. "We can't guarantee we can activate the system anyways. We don't even have the password, " Trunks said.

The younger Saiyan's dropped his shoulder in defeat. "Okay, just a peep."

Trunks hid his smile. Another battle won. They stepped into the dimly lit room. They made their way to the opposite side of the room where the central computer was set up.

Trunks pressed the green button. The little pink mouse appeared on the screen. "I am Giddymouse, your computer guide. How may I assist you today?"

"I never get tired of seeing Giddymouse. She's so adorable!" Goten traced the outline of the computer icon. "I should ask your mom to create one of these for me."

"Gah." Trunks stuck his finger in his mouth and pretended to gag. "This disgustingly cute mousy look-alike should be shot and killed."

"You're going to hurt Giddymouse's feeling, Trunks. You should apologize." Trunks stared at this friend in disbelief. He didn't seriously think that the computerize icon has feeling, did he? Goten stood firmly with his arm crossed, waiting for his apologies.

Trunks turned to the computer screen, feeling a bit foolish. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry, Giddymouse." Trunks turned to face Goten. "Satisfy?"

"Yes."

Finally, they could return to their main task, breaking the password. Trunks rubbed his chin with one hand. "If I'm my mom, what kind of password would she use? Any idea, Goten?"

"No idea. They're your parents."

Trunks decided his friend was no help in the thinking department. He rubbed his chin some more and furrowed his brows. For their level, his mom used a simple word, 'HOPE'. For his dad's level, he assumed it was more complicated or else any one could crack it.

He concentrated some more and ran through a few vocabularies that his mother might use. Nothing really popped in his mind.

"Giddymouse, what is Vegeta's latest level?"

"Please input password." The little critter jumped up and down with waving paws as if it was trying to taunt him.

Shit. I couldn't even request information on my dad's file. Well, there was no point in staying silent. If he wanted to crack this, he has to start somewhere.

"Underwear."

"Access denied. You have two more tries before system shut down. Please try again."

Shit again. He couldn't just randomly guess now. Trunks bit his lower lips.

"Fried rice!' Goten blurted out.

"Access denied. You have one more try before system shut down. Please try again."

"What the hell are you doing?" Trunks said through clenched teeth, making sure that the computer did not hear his words. "Are you stupid? We only have one more try left."

Goten covered his mouth with his hands, an act he did often when they were younger. "I was only trying to help." He whispered through his slightly parted finger.

Trunks ignored him and shut his eyes to concentrate. _Think, Trunks, think._ In his mind, he saw the little pink mouse danced around. He always wondered why his mom picked this particular critter as an icon. He found later from his grandfather that it was revenge against his dad. It was a gift to remind his dad that this room was built from her three years of sacrifice. She knew he didn't like cute things so she deliberately picked the cutest icon possible, completed with the color pink. _Woman could be evil._ Trunks shuddered.

His mom was in charge of all the password's creation and the password must be spoken instead of type entry. What would she like his dad to say? Surely, not the word 'Woman'.

He squeezed his eyes some more. He was onto something. The password was so close; he could almost feel at the tip of his tongue. He licked his lips at this thought.

Damn and Shit was word his dad would say, but not necessary what his mom wanted him to say. Suddenly, the phrase, _I love you, Bulma,_ popped inside his head like a bullet shot from a pistol. He heard this phrase when he passed his parents' room once. His mother was being her evil self when she tried to force the phrase from his dad. His dad reluctantly complied. He had seemed uncomfortable when he muttered the four words.

It was worth a try.

Trunks opened his eyes and took a deep breath. He dropped his crossed arm to his side and crossed his fingers. "I love you, Bulma." Trunks held his breath. _Please…please…let this be the password…._

"Password accepted. Initiating system…"

"Yes! Do you hear that, Goten! We're in!" Trunks grabbed Goten's hand and started to jump up and down. "We're in!"

"Trunks, you ARE A GENIUS!" Goten wrapped his arms around Trunks.

"I know I know!" Trunks was beside himself. He never believed in luck, but he sure felt damn lucky at the moment.

"Initiation complete. Vegeta is currently on Level 4 Cells, Level 2 Frieza, Level 3 Buu, Level 3 Kakkarott, Level 1 Piccolo…"

"Stop, Giddymouse. Activate manual mode." The annoying voice of the critter stopped.

Trunks stepped up to the keyboard and pressed some keys. An image of the opponents appeared on the screen. He flipped through a few and was bored by the design. He pressed a few more buttons and a grey image appeared. It was in a shape of a human but had no distinct characteristics. He pressed another button and a text box appeared with the text, 'Enter Name".

"Look, Goten! This is where we can create a character. Seriously, my mom is soo not fair. She could have programmed our files with the same functionality. My mom is a genius, but she so lacks creativity when it comes to monster design." Trunks could feel the excitement heating his body. He had not been this excited since the day his mother announced the completion of this room.

"That's so cool. But do you think your father will find out we mess around with his files?"

"So what if he finds out. He won't kill us. He'll probably just take away my allowance for a month or so. Your father won't punish you. Well, maybe your mom will, but she won't kill you. This is an chance of a lifetime. I will not pass this up."

"Umm…okay…" Trunks could tell Goten was not too thrilled with the idea.

Trunks patted his friend's shoulder. "Don't worry. We don't have to activate it. I just want to see what kind of monster our imagination can create. Are you in?"

"Okay. This does sound like fun though. I'm in." Trunks knew Goten would cave just like every other time.

Two hours later, another image appeared on the screen. The monster was now named Gizeth and Minat. It has only one body with two faces, one in the back and one in the front. Gizeth was the red face in the front. A white lightning scar ran from the tip of the temple down to the left cheek. Just above the head were two curved horns, the tip almost touching the forehead of the face in the front. Minat's face was painted white with purple lips spread across one side of the ear to the next. They wore flexible and durable leather armor with two straps crisscrossed across the chest and the loose gi's fabric pant.

"This is insane! Oh man! I want to keep them!" Trunks was so excited about their newly created character.

"That is so cool, Trunks! Look so badass!"

Trunks called forth Giddymouse without consulting Goten. Before Goten could react, Trunks commanded the mouse, "Giddymouse, activate…"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! As always, I love to hear your thoughts on the progress so far!

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 2  The Monster

**Game of Life**

**Chapter 2 – The Monster**

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><p>The virus traveled fast, snaking around a network of wires. It turned left and right, leaving a trail of little bugs behind. Some of it survived, but some were swallowed by the protection installed in this place. The virus ignored them and continued down the wiry path. It stopped when it found a block of fragmented codes, attaching to each other, forming a shape. The virus knew it was the perfect host. It swam forward and glued itself in the joining parts, giving life to a new program.<p>

* * *

><p>He felt his fingers flexed and hands curled into a ball. It was a peculiar feeling, it thought. Thought…it didn't know it was capable of such act. It blinked in wonder.<p>

Minat, the face that was glued to the back of his other half, with no body to control, marveled at the sight before him. He was no longer surrounded by nothingness, an emptiness that could not be described. Now, he could feel the wind gliding pass his flesh, a feeling foreign to him. In front of him, as far as his eyes could see, he noticed a land of low uneven plains covered with blue grass and above them stood round bushed trees. He lifted his eyes upward. He gasped, astonished to find the sky so vast. He could stay here forever, he thought, as he closed his eyes and bathe in the warmth of the sun. Then a voice in the back rudely interrupted his pleasure.

"Minat, focus," Gizeth, his other half warned. Minat ignored him and returned to the serene paradise of his new environment. He would not allow his other half, the impatient one, the strong one and the one with no appreciation for beauty of this new world, to ruin this new enjoyment. _Focus, he said. _Minat snickered, _Why would he want to do that?  
><em>

Unexpectedly, Minat was pulled out of his enjoyment only to find a startling discovery. Minat sprang his eyes open, surprised to find his other half could speak. He opened his mouth wide and tried to create a vibration behind his throat. "Ahh…I can talk," he said. "I can talk!" he repeated a few more times, afraid that the spell was temporary.

"If you don't focus, we won't be talking later," Gizeth said as he turned sideways so Minat could see their predicament. His other half, Gizeth, always the spoilsport, he thought. It was definitely unfair that Gizeth was the one in full control of their body.

He slid his eyes to the left so he could see what Gizeth was referring to. There were two boys floating in midair, whispering among each other while darting their eyes in their direction. He extended his hearing to capture the words exchanged between the two. "They're not suppose to, at least my mom said the simulation could only bring forth their power and not their personalities," said the one with lavender hair, frowning as he continued, "But whatever, they seemed weak so I think we can take them down." Soon after, the two bent their knees and crouched in a fighting stance. "Let's go, Goten," the older one ordered.

"Minat, get ready. Watch my back," Gizeth ordered as he, too, crouched in a fighting position. Minat felt his body angled backward, a position he didn't particular like.

"I think we should deactivate the system," the boy with dark hair murmured, leaning close so his mouth was by the others ear. "I told you I have a bad feeling about this."

_Deactivate the system? _Minat did not know why that thought frightened him. He could not remember how he came into existence. He vaguely remembered being entrapped in a place where time stood still. He had a brief moment of consciousness in that place and before long; he was transferred into this new world. _Deactivate the__ system_…he thought again. Was he part of the system? Did that mean he would have to return to the nothingness again if the system was shut? He wondered, uneasiness filled his mind. It was plausible, he concluded. He didn't want that. He liked this new freedom. He liked the idea of thinking. He liked to talk.

"Gizeth, stop them!" Minat cried. Panic surged through his mind as he thought about the emptiness, the void, the thoughtlessness. This thought alone was enough for him to fight for this newfound freedom.

He felt his body rushed backward, shaking and bouncing as Gizeth moved left, right and bent down to avoid the rapid attack.

Minat was once again startled when he saw one the boy appeared before him with a smirk on his face. "Gizeth, behind you!" warned Minat. His body shifted to the right, his hand bent upward to block the oncoming punch that was meant for his face, but instead, it landed on the front of his back.

"Shit!" he heard Gizeth cried out. He felt it, too. The sharp pain crawled from their spine up to the neck. Another hit connected, this time their left leg was bleeding. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the razor energy wheel flying in the air. If they kept going on like this, they could lose.

"Goten, you fight them," the lavender hair boy said as he descended to the ground. "You're more than enough to defeat them. I'm taking a break."

"But Trunks, they're your characters. Why do I have to do your dirty deeds again?" the younger one whined, his hand on his hips and his cheek puffed out.

"Stop whining and defeat them," the older one ordered.

The dark-haired boy turned to them. His cheek remained puffed and he was mumbling inaudible words.

"Gizeth, fend for yourself. I'm going to think of something to save us." Minat shut his eyes, trying to block the losing battle from his mind. As soon as he focused his thought, images of a dark spiked hair man flashed before his eyes. There was a short image of him kicking and punching air and another image of him walking along the park with his hand tucked in his pocket. Minat was filled with happiness when he saw the man patted his head. No, those memories belonged to the lavender hair boy. _But how was that possible_, Minat pondered while searching his brain for an answer. He felt another sharp pain to his side.

"Hurry, Minat! I can't hold much longer." His head jerked, forcing his attention back to the present. Gizeth was doing a valiant job of battling the younger boy. Had they ganged up, Minat was not confident that they could last this long.

Minat focused on the other boy, the one the images belong to. Minat saw him looking up at them, confusion in his eyes.

Minat grinned. He knew exactly how to stay in this world.

* * *

><p>"This is a waste of time," Vegeta grumbled, as he dropped on the old chair beside the bed. He brought his arms across his chest and swung his right leg over his left. He looked over to his wife who was now lying in the bed with the belly hanging out the thin fabric of her tight T-shirt. She was circling the outer lining of her stomach. From where he was sitting, he could see a tiny bump from the left of her belly, stirring across to her right, like an alien ready to leap from her body.<p>

"Vegeta, come feel her!" Bulma cried out, motioning him to come over with her hands. "I've never seen her move this much before." She was much too excited for someone who was committed to a hospital. He looked at her and down to her bare stomach. He felt disgusted at the thought of putting his hand on the moving target. He couldn't imagine having a parasite living in his body and actually enjoying it. "Come on, Vegeta! Please, please!"

"No." Vegeta growled. If his mood was bad before, she had succeeded in magnifying to a new level of frustration and aggravation with her begging. He had been stuck in the god forbidden traffic for nearly three hours only to abandon the car toward the end. Because of her urgent business, he had ended up flying her anyways. Bulma had kindly rewarded him for the trouble, he snorted. She was gracious enough to share her breakfast, lunch and dinner with him. He thought it had been entertaining when she hurled it upon her people, but he was not amused when he was the recipient. Now, he smelled like centuries old landfill trash. He wrinkled his nose. He needed a shower.

"Oh Vegeta. It's only a little puke," Bulma teased when she saw Vegeta cringe his nose. She almost fell into another bout of uncontrollable laughter just remembering Vegeta's reaction, but she managed to stifle the laugh and shove it back down her throat. The poor guy had to hold on to her in mid-air while she was emptying every bit of ice cream, chocolate cookies, yogurt, pizza and a whole other junk on him. She knew he was tempted to drop her and probably would have done so had she not secured herself around his neck.

"A little puke?" Vegeta pulled the fitted tank top from his chest, which was now covered with greenish spot. "Do you think this is a little puke?" he asked again, his voice louder with each word. He let go of his tank and felt the wetness slapped against his skin. He grimaced. He really should go home and shower.

Bulma grimaced as well. It was not completely her fault, it was her pregnancy. The little monster inside her has a lot of dislike. She was picky about her foods, her bathroom schedule and even her health. Motion had never bothered Bulma until this little monster started to grow. She knew her mood was unpredictable before, but now, she needed a mood meter to track how she changed from happy and sad in a matter of minutes. She couldn't blame Vegeta for losing patience with her. Heck, Bulma was surprised Vegeta didn't kill her yet.

"What is taking that damn doctor so long?" Vegeta asked, his fingers drumming his arm. "If he does not show up…" Vegeta suddenly leaped up, causing the chair flipped back, crashing to the ground. "Shit!" Vegeta swore when he sensed his boy's ki plummeted to a dangerously low level.

"What's going on, Vegeta?" Bulma demanded, alarmed at Vegeta's sudden action. She tossed the blanket aside and swung her feet to the side of the bed. Her heart raced as she rushed to her husband's side.

"Nothing," he lied, forcing his voice to calm, not wanting to increase Bulma's anxiety. He bent down to grab his sleeveless jacket from the floor and swung it across his shoulder. He stuck his arm in one sleeve and worked on the other one. "I'm going to home," he said and started walking toward the window.

"Vegeta!" Bulma called out again. "Tell me what's wrong?" She refused to let him go without telling her. She could tell there was something wrong with the boys. She grabbed him by the arm and spun him back. She glared at him, daring him to leave without a word.

"Bulma, nothing is wrong. I'm going home to shower, that is all." Vegeta pushed her aside and continued, only to meet Bulma with her arm spread wide open, blocking his exit. This woman could be so infuriating.

"No. You will not leave until you tell me what's going on," Bulma said, determination in her voice. She grounded her feet and stretched her arms further, just to make her point.

Vegeta hesitated, thinking if he should tell her the truth. He looked at her and knew that she would probably know if he was lying. "Fine. The boys seemed to be in some kind of fight. I'm going to check it out." He left out some fact but what he said was true enough.

"I'm coming with you." Bulma said, not leaving her place until he agreed.

"Fine. Grab your stuff."

Bulma rushed to the bed and bent down to grab her purse, but as soon as she got up, Vegeta was gone.

"You son of a bitch!" Bulma screamed as she stared at the flapping curtains.

* * *

><p>"Trunks! Get up!" Goten cried, his hands on his Trunks' shoulder, shaking the still body. Trunks didn't stir and was not responding to his call.<p>

It all happened so fast, Goten didn't even have time to react. Trunks left the battle shortly after they started. He was just sitting and watching them from below. Goten was immersed in his own fight and did not pay attention to his spoiled friend. Without warning, he found Trunks beside him, demanded answers from the monster named Minat. Goten was confused and had no idea what they were saying. He heard something about images and connections, but those words did not make any sense to the younger Saiyan.

Minat, not wanting to explain, had decided to ignore Trunks, which did not sit well with his friend. Trunks had straightened his arms and a light blue energy ball formed in his palm. Before he could release, Trunks clutched and threw his head back and spiraled to the ground. On the ground, his body twitched as if shocked by a high voltage of electrical current. When Goten reached him, Trunks' body started to stretch like a rubber band pulled to its limit. His jaw was so tight that Goten was afraid he would break his teeth. His eyes rolled back and his body arched upward. With a scream he dropped and went slack. It was an eerie sight to see Trunks hurt like that. The last time they fought with Buu, their ass got kick pretty bad and still, they laughed and joked as if it was all fun and game. But now, Trunks were unconscious, leaving Goten to figure things out for himself.

Goten gave him another shake and slapped his face. Still, Trunks didn't move. Goten was scared. They were still little kid, barely teenager. He didn't know what to do in this situation. The smart thing to do was to shut the system down and get Trunks medical attention, he thought.

Their monster,Gizeth, had the face tilted down, the eyes in a narrow slit as he stared at him in return. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Gizeth warned as if reading this thoughts.

"What did you do to him?" He demanded in a loud voice so the monster could hear him.

The monster snickered, "I didn't do anything. You should ask the guy in the back." He pointed his thumb and jabbed the back of his head. He turned around to allow the other face to speak with the boy.

"He will not die," said the face in white, his lips stretched across the face, each word causing a ripple on the skin. "We only sent him on a little journey."

"What do you mean on a journey?" Goten asked through his clenched teeth, his words soft but dangerous. Goten felt his fear gradually replaced by anger. He was angry at Trunks for suggesting that they used the simulation room. He was angry at himself for letting Trunks talked him into this. He knew it was a mistake from the beginning, yet he gave in to Trunks' mischievous anyways, now they were paying for it.

"Rest assured, child, he is only sleeping. He is in no physical pain, at least, not yet," the white face said. Goten remembered Trunks naming him, Minat.

His fist clenched and his jaw tightened. Goten could feel his vein bursting from his skins. "Bring him back now!" Goten roared, letting his rage filled his body. His eyes switched from teal to black to teal. Each step he took, he could feel the golden aura trailed behind him.

"You cannot hurt us," stated the face in white, with such confidence that it almost caused Goten to pause. Goten ignored the warning and levitated into the air, closing the distant between him and the monster they had created. The monster didn't move. He stayed there with a wide smile on its face.

Goten felt his rage growing. Now, he really wanted to wipe that ridiculously wide smile off. Goten dashed forward, his fist ready for contact. Once he reached the monster, Minat switched to the one called Gizeth. Gizeth blocked him with his forearm. Goten was ready for that. He brought his knee to Gizeth's torso and a kick to the left side. Without pausing, he punched the monster's jaw, sending it crashing down to the ground, leaving a crater the size of a city. He glimpsed at where Trunks was lying and was relieved that the damage area did not reach him.

Goten switched his attention back to the monster. He saw the white face now and it continued to smile, even though Goten could see Gizeth hacking and choking behind him. Goten raised his hand, filling it with his ki. A ball of energy formed in his palm and he let it go. The energy shot straight into the smiling face.

He heard a bone chilling scream, but it didn't come from either Minat or Gizeth. He looked around, trying to identify the source. Below him, he saw Trunks curled up into a ball, his hand clawing his face. Goten blinked in confusion. He lowered himself the ground next to Trunks. "Trunks, are you okay? Talk to me!" Goten yelled, still maintaining his Super Saiyan's form.

Goten lost all his anger. He was afraid for Trunks now. His lips trembled as his sight fell upon his best friend. Trunks was still clawing his own face as if it was burning with invisible fire. His scream echoed the vast land. Goten felt hairs from all parts of his body stood up. Goten quickly dropped to his knee and positioned himself beside the thrashing Trunks. He grabbed Trunks' hand and pulled it away and secured it to his side. Goten winced when he saw four bright red lines ran from the top of the forehead down the chin. Trunks tried to resist and began to pull his hand back all the while screaming in pain. Goten used his knee to lock the swinging legs in place. "Trunks! Wake up!" Trunks didn't hear him as he continued to squirm away from his hold. Finally, after a few more minutes, Goten heard a slight moan and Trunks went still once again, his head dropped to the side. "Shit! Dammit! Wake up!" Goten shout repeatedly. He released his hold on Trunks and stood up, swallowing the lump in his throat.

The monster stood up and turned around so Gizeth was now facing him. "Give me all you got, boy," Gizeth taunted.

Goten roared again as he blasted the red-faced monster with consecutive ki's ball. As soon as the shot landed on the monster, Goten heard the ear piercing scream again. This time he was sure it came from Trunks. "What the…"

A roaring laugh echoed across the plain. "Now you get it, silly boy?"

* * *

><p>"Damn those brats to hell!" Vegeta growled as he picked up his speed. He felt Goten's ki rose and he was probably transformed into Super Saiyan. He couldn't sense another ki that suggested there was an enemy. <em>The simulation room! <em>If they activated the simulation, Vegeta wouldn't be able to sense anything until he was mentally linked to the room. Vegeta cursed.

Feeling his son's ki dropped even further, he turned Super Saiyan and maximized his speed. Within minutes, he was at his house. He descended. Without caring the damage he would inflict on his property, he blew the door opened and rushed inside, going directly to the simulation room, located at the north wing. The door was locked. He lifted his hand and he tried blasting it, but the door wouldn't budge. Vegeta cursed again. He finally remembered he had the key. Fumbling through his pocket, he pulled out all the items contained within the pouches.

Behind the closed door, he could feel Goten's ki at the Super Saiyan level, but did not sense any movement, no spike of energy, no battle taken place. Ignoring the other side for now, he concentrated on finding his key.

"Where is it? Dammit!" he yelled as he dug deep into his back pocket and felt the card. With a sigh of relief, he pulled it and swiped against the magnetic slid. Once the door opened, he found his son on this back, almost lifeless. The golden-covered Goten stood next his son with his attention divided between the boy and the hideous looking alien.

"Trunks!" Vegeta stepped in and the room began to transform. He was now standing in what he remembered as Planet Namek. He hissed as he realized the distant between him and his son began to draw wider. He lifted his feet off the ground and flew to where his son was, swooping between trees. When he finally got there, he scooped Trunks by the neck. The boy's head limped against his chest. Vegeta had never seen Trunks this ghastly pale, not even when he had came down with the flu. Vegeta placed fingers on his neck and relaxed slightly. _He's alive. _

Vegeta turned to the younger Saiyan, "Goten, who did this?" Vegeta demanded while lowering his kid to the ground. He already guessed the answer, but wanted a confirmation. He could now sense the creature's ki and it was not impressive. He was sure that Trunks could easily defeat it. _So what's going on?_ This room has an automatic safety device that shut down the system if the player sustained over fifty percent injuries. He took a quick glimpse at his son and noticed there was no physical harm to the boy, which could explain why the simulation didn't shut down.

"Vegeta!" The anger he felt from Goten when he first arrived was gone, replaced by relief, guilt and confusion. "I'm so sorry about this. I know you told us not to come in here," Goten rambled on, his golden aura dissipated. The boy was distressed, this much Vegeta could tell.

"We will talk about that later," Vegeta said through his teeth, waving his hand for the boy to stop yapping, but the boy did not stop.

The boy scratched his head much like Kakkarott did when he tried to gather whatever little brain cells he had. "I don't know what they did to Trunks, but one minute we were talking and then I heard a loud crash and then…" Goten rambled again.

Vegeta stood up and glared at the figure above him. "Who is this joker?" Vegeta asked, tilting his chin to the one above, glancing back at Goten for another explanation.

"We, well, mostly Trunks, created him. The one facing us now is called, Gizeth, and the one in the back, Minat." Goten explained, surprised he didn't ramble this time. "One more thing, Vegeta, these guys can talk and think."

Vegeta raised his left brow. "Did you kids tampered with the system?" Vegeta asked, studying the boy to see if he was lying, though he knew Kakkarott's kid would not lie when alone without his son around.

"No. We used a key Trunks copied from Bulma. That was it, I swear!"

Before Vegeta could respond, he heard the deep voice from above said, "You guys done chatting? I'm a bit bored up here." Gizeth, the one in red, glazed down at him while trimming his finger nails with his teeth. He yawned and wiped his tears with exaggerated movement.

Vegeta felt fire burning in his chest. Not only did they injure his son, they have the nerve to make fun of him with their measly, pathetic, pitiful power. He could feel his finger tingling with his ki. He threw his head to his right and glared at the boy. "Watch Trunks," was all Vegeta said before taking off to meet his so called foe.

"Wait! Vegeta!" He heard the boy called after him, but he was already face to face with the pathetic fool. Normally, he would not engage in a fight until he sized his opponent up, but he was beyond angry now. He felt like running his fist into the shit face and gave him a piece of his mind. And that he did.

"Nooooo!" He heard Goten shouted, followed by an heart-wrenching shriek.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: If you read this far, you must find this fic at least a little enjoyable, so I want to say thank you for reading! As always, I love the hear your thoughts!


	4. Chapter 3  Trading Spaces

**Game of Life**

**Chapter 3 - Trading Spaces**

* * *

><p>Trunks was exhausted. He couldn't remember why he was so tired. He rotated his shoulder to loosen his stiff muscle. He scratched his head and felt his hair was matted with dirt and dried sweats. He brought his palm down and stared at it, confused as to how he got so dirty.<p>

Trunks dropped his backpack to the floor. It landed with a thump. His eyes fell upon the bag, which was filled with camping equipment. His sleeping bag was nicely rolled in a bundle and a fishing rod hanged on the side by a Velcro strip. It appeared he just came back from camping, but he couldn't recall with whom. Massaging his chin, he tried hard to summon any memories of the past few days, but drew a blank. The noises from the kitchen pulled him from his daze. Trunks shrugged and decided not to dwell on it too much. He took off his jacket and dropped it beside the pack and started toward the kitchen.

He found his mom behind the dark granite island that separated the living room and the kitchen. It was wide and long enough for twenty people to feast on. Even though they did not have guests over often, the surface of the island was always covered with enough foods to satisfy the entire race of Saiyans. His dad was found sitting on a stool at the other end with his face in the plate. Before he swallowed what was in his mouth, he shoved another piece in. Trunks walked closer and jumped on the stool next to him.

Trunks had forgotten his troubled thoughts once his attention fell upon the butchered scaled chunk of meat near his mom. She threw the chopped fresh vegetables in a big pot and began stirring. His mouth started to water as he breathed in the smoky aroma of his favorite meal, T-Rex stew. On his father's plate was a pile of fried internal organs. This was a real treat since it was rare for his mom to serve wild animals of this size in the house.

"Awesome! My favorite, T-rex!" Trunks exclaimed as he snatched the liver off his dad's plate only to find his body lifted from the stool and flew backward into the living room. He sat there stunned by his dad's unpredicted attack. Sure, his dad was short-tempered and sometime unreasonable, but beside the training room, his dad had never laid a hand on him.

"Ouch! What's that for, Dad?" Trunks asked. Using one hand, he pushed against the floor to a stand and with the other, he rubbed his sore cheek. "Mom, did you see that?"

Instead of taking his side like she normally did, she glared at him. His dad did not pay him any attentions as he continued to devour his meal, shoving one organ after another into his mouth. "Trunks, this T-rex is all for your father. If you want some, go hunt your own," said his mom, her voice was cold and uncaring. Her eyes were icy as she continued to glare at him with one hand on her hip.

Trunks' mouth dropped, eyes switching from his mom to his dad. He could not believe what he just heard. His mom, the one who never ever said no to him no matter what his request was, just blatantly refused to give him his favorite meal. Not only that, she was being uncharacteristically mean to him. He quickly scanned his memories for anything he did wrong to anger his mom recently, but he remembered nothing. He didn't even remember what he did yesterday. He noticed his mom returned to her cooking task, leaving Trunks staring at her back in disbelief. "Mom, what are you saying? Did I do something wrong?" He felt his throat constricted as he asked the question.

His dad did not lift his head from the plate the whole time. It was strange. Even though his dad was a man of few words, he would always acknowledge Trunks' presence with a nod or two.

"Trunks, your sister finally arrived," his mom said without turning to him, "Now that we have her, we don't need you anymore."

His mom's words stung. He felt wetness on his hand as his tears dripped one after another. Trunks had not cried once since hearing of his father's death during the Buu's incident, but now he felt like brawling his eyes out, throwing a tantrum like he did when he was a kid, just so she could come and comfort him, but the shock had him frozen in place. _His mom and dad didn't want him anymore, but why?_ He asked himself. "Mom? Dad?"

Before he got a response, a little girl jumped on the stool beside his dad. Trunks blinked to rid of the tears in his lids. Her body was distorted and shadowy compared to the solid figure of his dad. Trunks rubbed his eyes and still the images remained blurred. "Mama! Papa!" the little girl said. He saw his dad turning to her with a warm smile and patted her head and his mom walked around the island to peck her on the cheek. _His soon to be sister? Where did she come from? Where was he all these time? _

"Mama? Papa?" he called again with the titles he had stopped using about a year ago when he thought it had become too childish.

"We're not your mama and papa anymore, Trunks. We don't want you. After we return from our family vacation, we don't want to see you here, understand?" His mom's voice was serious. There was no hint of joking. They were dead serious. Trunks thought was he continued to watch his mom and dad coddled the mysterious girl. Suddenly, the room began to sway. Now even his mom and dad looked distorted. He could see his mom, dad and the girl pulled back as if a vacuum was sucking them from behind.

"Mama! Papa! Don't leave me!" Trunks cried as he ran toward them. "Don't leave me!" he cried out again, stretching his arms so he could grab them, but within seconds, they disappeared. Silence filled the room as Trunks stood alone, stunned. _Mom and dad left, _he thought, crushed from the realization. He dropped to his knee so he did not have to support his trembling legs.

Trunks lowered his head to his folded arms on the ground. Soft muffled choke escaped the parted space between his arms. For the next few minutes, the muffled sob continued until Trunks was drained of tears. "Mama…Papa…" he muttered.

Trunks didn't move for a few more minutes then finally lifted his head. He swiped his eyes with his sleeve and looked around, surprised to find he was surrounded by columns and rows of golden plates, each one stood one after another in a perfect line. He moved his head to the right and found a floating glass pane. The thick glass intrigued him. It seemed like he was looking into a painting, a picture that resembled Earth.

For the first time, he noticed he was on top of a bottomless pit. He reached down, only to be blocked by and invisible shield. Trunks stood and stomped on the concealed floor just to test its stability. Satisfy, he took a step toward the glass panel. He pressed his palm against the panel and leaned closer. He saw movement within. Upon closer examination, he noticed the small moving figures resembled his father. "Papa!" he cried as he pounded his fist against the thick divider between him and his dad. He could see a blue energy ball in his dad's arm and heard someone screamed, "Nooo!"

Trunks' eyes widened as he grabbed his chest. With one palm pressed against the panel, he slid down little by little until he hit the invisible floor. Then his world went dark.

* * *

><p><em>I might die, <em>she thought, biting her lower lips. _I might never see Vegeta and Trunks again. _This would be considered a natural death so even Dragonball wouldn't be able to bring her back. _How did this happen?_ She knew she wasn't in the greatest shape but she did quit smoking. She gave that up once she learned she was pregnant. She knew she was older than normal pregnant mom, but she wasn't that old, only in the forties. _Sure, there could be complication, but death?_

Her eyes fell upon her unborn child. She thought back at the conversation she had with her doctor, right before she was about to go after Vegeta. She prided herself for keeping a calm attitude throughout his explanation, but now that he was gone, it was harder to contain her increasing fear. Placenta pervia, the doctor had said. It was a complication where the placenta covered the cervix region. She was diagnosis with the partial type, which was not serious, so the doctor said. But her doctor had recommended she be in bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy in the hospital, if possible. If the placenta shifted into the complete type, it could be life threatening.

Bulma squeezed the pillow tight against her chest and rest her chin on top. _"What are the complications if I don't rest now?" _she had asked the doctor. It was only a precaution, the doctor told her. In the complete stage, in the worst case scenarios, she could die of blood loss from severe hemorrhage and also blood loss for the baby if not treated immediately through C-section.

Bulma wanted to stay positive like her doctor had suggested, but the possibility of death filled her thoughts. She still has ten more weeks until the actual due date. Anything could go wrong. She clenched her teeth. She had been through multiple world destruction and had enough life threats and drama that put the soap opera shows to shame. She married an alien who had threatened to kill her in her earlier days. She had tamed him and domesticated him, a feat not easily obtainable. But now, she fell prey to a simple human obstacle. She sighed at the thought, succumbing to the foul mood.

Suddenly, she jumped out of bed and dropped her head down and began to shake manically as if she was possessed. She, then, stopped and brought her palms to both side of her cheek and gave it a good slap. "Bulma, you need to snap out of it!" she ordered herself. "There's no point in drowning in self-pity!"

Bulma reeled her mind back to the present and stayed away from the future. She has to concentrate on the current situation, which was Trunks. She shoved her condition to the back of her mind. She walked to the window and flung the curtain aside. Bulma looked at to see if she could see Vegeta in the horizon. _That bastard been gone for more than an hour and I have not heard a word from him, not even a call!_

Bulma rushed back to her bed and pressed the help button. After a couple seconds, the nurse ran in. "How can I help you, Mrs. Brief?" she asked as she adjusted her nurse gown in more presentable state. The poor nurse was still mesmerized by the fact that one of the most powerful being on Earth was under her care.

"Let the doctor know I'm going home. We can talk about bed rest after I return," Bulma said as she was stuffing her duffel bag with her personal items. "I can't stay here tonight."

"We cannot let you do that, Mrs. Brief," said the man standing behind the nurse. The nurse stepped aside and took a small bow before excusing herself and left the room. The man took a few steps in.

Bulma fixed her eyes at the taller man, who was holding a chart in his hand. He was young compared to other doctors she had seen, most likely in his mid to late thirties. Bulma had been skeptical using him as her primary care doctor since she thought he was inexperienced. After much assurance from her colleague and other well-known doctors, she had decided to give this young doctor a chance.

"And why not, Dr. Mason?" Bulma demanded, her hand supporting her left lower back. She felt the baby kicking again. The little one was quite active today, she thought.

"We have to run more tests before we could determine if this is indeed partial pervia. Since the ultra sound was done a month ago, we cannot assume that the placenta did not shift." Dr. Mason explained as he pulled a pen from his upper coat pocket. He scribbled a few notes on the chart and returned his attention to her.

"We can do that tomorrow. I can't wait here any longer." Bulma insisted. She looped the bag's handle with her hand and lifted the bag. "I promise you I'll be back." She made her way to the door.

"I'll make you a deal, Mrs. Brief." The doctor side-stepped a few inches to block the exit to the doorway. "If the test comes back negative, then you may leave. But you have to promise to return at the first sign of discomfort regardless of how little."

The doctor has one hand in his pocket of his white coat, standing casually. Bulma has a feeling that if she forced her way out, he would most definitely pounce at her. He would probably not let her out until he could guarantee she was in no danger. An admirable trait, she thought, but equally frustrating as she had business elsewhere. She stood her ground and glared at the doctor, engaging in a silent battle of will. After a moment of complete stillness, Bulma dropped her shoulder in resignation and said, "You have to promise that it'll be quick. One hour. If I don't hear the results in one hour, I'll leave."

The doctor parted two fingers and countered, "Two hours. The test should be ready by then."

Bulma weighted her options. She didn't want to risk her unborn baby if she could help it, but she was also concerned about Trunks. She could only hope right now that Vegeta could take care of their son. "It's a deal. Two hours."

* * *

><p>Vegeta shifted his blow by a few centimeters when he heard Kakkarott's boy screamed. An ear-piercing, blood chilling scream resonated the once quiet vast plains, creating bumps through his arms. The scream did not come from the bastard who he had sent flying down into the dense trees below, Vegeta was sure of it. The scream came from a voice he knew well. Vegeta let his hand fell to his side and slowly turned around. He lowered his gaze down to Goten and Trunks. The sight was disturbing as Vegeta saw his boy grabbed his chest and curled in a tight ball. Vegeta could not see in details of how much pain his son was in, but judging from another dip in the boy's ki, Vegeta knew Trunks was in extreme danger of losing his life.<p>

Vegeta knew the feeling of panic. He had experienced it during the fight with Cell when the lizard shot a hole into the other Trunks, but the panic had been overcome with uncontainable rage. It had clouded his minds of rational thoughts and at the same time, allowed him to momentarily release the feeling of weakness upon his enemy. This time, the feeling was different. There was no outlet to convert his panic into something concrete. He watched his son from afar, not knowing what to do.

"Vegeta! Come down here!" cried Goten. Vegeta snapped out of his indecision and began flying with all the speed he could muster to where his son was. Goten was cradling his son in his arms, swiping the sweat from his brows as the Trunks miserably grip his chest.

"What is happening with him?" Vegeta demanded, pushing Goten aside. He thought he did an admirable job hiding his fear from his voice and his action. Vegeta did not want to show his weakness, not to Kakkarott's boy, even in the midst of his son's dire condition. _But how long could he keep his facade?_ He asked himself as he listened to his little boy's heaving, each breath more labored than the last. Lines edged around his son's eyes as he squeezed it in pain. Vegeta pulled Trunks' grip away and ripped his shirt off to check for any sign of injuries. But there were no visible bruises or broken bones. Vegeta turned to Goten and demanded again, "What the hell is wrong with him?"

"I…I…I don't know," Goten stuttered, "I think Trunks is somehow connected to Minat and Gizeth." Goten kneeled beside Vegeta and hung his head in shame. Uncertainty and guilt was written all over his face.

Vegeta monitored Trunks' heart rate. It slowed to an alarming rate and his breath came out short and sharp. Vegeta's pretense stripped from him layer by layer until he no longer cared who was fortunate enough to witness the Saiyan prince in a panic stage. "Boy! I'm your father and I command you to wake up!" Vegeta yelled as he slapped Trunks across the face in hope he would snap back to consciousness.

"Papa…" Trunks mumbled in an inaudible whisper with his eyes still shut. The little boy before him breathed in a big gulp of air and...stopped. His hand dropped to the side and his head lolled against Vegeta's chest. Vegeta lifted his shaky hand and slowly placed underneath his son's nose. There was no breath.

* * *

><p>Gizeth swore and swore and continued to swear. He repeatedly kicked the lifeless boy on his side and stomped on his chest. The boy did not retaliate, shifting only when Gizeth connected his blow. "You weakling!' he yelled as he spat on the boy's face.<p>

"Relax, Gizeth," said a calm voice from behind.

Gizeth couldn't believe Minat told him to relax. How could he? They were back in this dark imprisonment. He knew the boy did not survive. The boy was weak. A simple blow to the chest and the boy succumbed to his ultimate fate, death. Gizeth kicked him on the side again with his combat boot, causing the boy to roll over. "You picked the wrong boy, Minat!" Gizeth accused.

"He was the right one. He was our creator and we could only link to him," Minat explained with a low sigh. "I've underestimated the stress mental linking will cause the boy. Had we not been too confident, we would not have allowed that blow to make contact."

Gizeth felt his rage escalating. He grabbed his two horns and twisted it around just so he could feel the physical pain. He let out a scream of frustration. "Did you just say it's my fault?"

"Stop it, Gizeth. You are giving me a headache." Gizeth quieted, but did not feel his anger quenched. He let his hand go and shoved it between his armpits. "That is better," said Minat and he continued, "And no, it was my own miscalculation that had caused the incident. It was no fault of yours."

"I don't know why you sound so calm. I thought you didn't like it in here." Gizeth said as he looked around his prison. He has a small recollection of this place and he did not remember liking it. As far as his eyes could see, there were golden plates and connecting the plates were wires, forming webs of safety nets. Gizeth did not like the feeling that he was the only soul in here and even worse, having Minat as his only company. He wanted to be outside where he could cause havoc among the livings. Pushing that thought aside, Gizeth walked over to the closest plate and placed his hand upon the scripted front. He traced the engraved symbols with his index finger. He didn't think he knew the words, but he did. He wondered how. Gizeth shrugged and read it aloud, "Cell." He walked over to the next one and repeated, "Buu."

"The boy is not completely gone yet. If he was, his mind would not still be trapped in here," his counterpart explained, snapping Gizeth back to the present.

"What do you mean?" Gizeth cocked his head as he gazed upon the lifeless boy. Gizeth spat at him again. He was not as forgiving as Minat when it came down to boy's experimentation with his body's part. Giving them one body and two minds was not his idea of cool. Talking to someone who he could not see was extremely irritating. He felt like bringing the boy back from the dead just to send him back to hell. Gizeth snarled.

"Look out the glass panel." Minat urged.

Gizeth did as he was told. He did not notice the glass panel before. It was wide with colorful images. Gizeth moved his face closer, almost touching the panel with his nose. He noticed the same blue plains and bushed trees from earlier. Gizeth narrowed his eyes and concentrated on the three beings beneath the taller tree. Under the shade, he could hardly see what was happening. The man and the dark hair boy appeared to be kneeling by the same boy in this room. If Gizeth was pissed, then the man was beyond that. Even behind the glass, Gizeth could sense the raw rage from the man as he pounded the boy in the chest. The earth shook around them. Gizeth shivered. He did not want to face that man again.

"Leave all the talking to me once we return to our haven. Do not provoke the man named, Vegeta." Gizeth could hear the warning in Minat's voice. "The golden plates you were examining seem to hold the secret to our survival."

"How the hell do you know all these stuff anyways?" Gizeth was genuinely interested. He glanced at the golden plates through the corner of his eyes. He was not able to learn anything when he examined it earlier.

"I know not how or why, only that I could feel it speaking to me through the particles in this space. I see the memories stored within each plate. There is one especially useful to us." Minat explained. Gizeth could almost hear a smirk as Minat spoke the last sentence.

"Alright then, I'll leave all the thinking to you. As long as we stayed outside and I'm not bored to death, I'll do what you want," Gizeth said, taking another peep through the glass. He could see the man named Vegeta has his arms hung to his side with a stunned expression on his face. He thought he saw the lavender hair boy moved. The boy's chest was definitely heaving up and down. Gizeth dropped his gaze to the same boy in the dark place. A sound escaped and the boy took a sharp intake of air and spit out violent coughs.

Seconds later, Gizeth and Minat found themselves out in the plain.

* * *

><p>The warm wind blew across the landscape, gently passing where Vegeta kneeled. It did not bring him comfort or warmth for he could not feel anything at the moment. He brought his shaking fist to his face and saw redness painted by the pinky side of his hand. He ran his palm down his face to rid the shock that was stuck there. The past few minutes had been a blur. He could not think nor did he remember what happened after he found Trunks took his last breath. He vaguely remembered pounding his son's chest with his fists, breaking a few ribs as a result. He thought he heard himself commanding his son to wake and threatened him with Earthling punishment. It felt like eternity before Trunks responded with a sharp intake of air<p>

Vegeta did not move to comfort his son. He was afraid that it was all an illusion, an illusion that his son was indeed alive through his desperate attempt. Had he not hear the coughing from the boy, he would have guessed the boy was still gone. He almost failed to keep his promise to Bulma. He glanced down at Trunks and for the first time in minutes, he let out a huge breath of air. _The boy lives._

Goten moved next to his son, patting his chest to ease the coughing. It seemed to help since a little color returned to his son's sickly paled skins. Vegeta could sense the boy's ki gradually returning, but was still terrifying low. The boy was still weak and this time and Vegeta had added to more injuries to his boy. Vegeta thought of shutting down the system and attended to his son's need, but was also torn from the needs to know what the hell happened.

Before he made his choice on which route to take, a familiar ki appeared. Vegeta stood up and raised his head. He found a white grinning face floating above him. Vegeta did not see a single scratch on their body. He could have sworn his energy had made a direct hit, so there was no possible way the bastard survived.

"I must say thank you," said Minat. "Had you not save the boy, we would have been imprisoned once again. For that we are truly grateful."

He hated talking to a back. He hated talking to the grinning face even more. Vegeta grew another energy ball in his palm only to feel a sudden pull. He dropped his gaze with a growl. He saw the Kakkarott's boy wrapped his whole body around his arms, preventing him from releasing the energy ball. "Vegeta, if you hurt him, you'll hurt Trunks!" Goten exclaimed, his eyes begging him to stop.

The light in his palm diminished. Vegeta did not comprehend the words coming from Goten's mouth. "What are you saying, Goten?" Vegeta asked to confirm his suspicion.

Goten gulped before explaining, "When you hit them, Trunks is the one who feels it."

Realization struck him like a slap in the face. Vegeta did not utter a word as he glanced down at his now resting son. He was the murderer. He was the one who almost killed his own son. He thought repeatedly.

Vegeta snapped out of his somber thought when he felt a shake. "Vegeta?" Vegeta saw two dark eyes staring back at him, pleading for him to do something. Vegeta could not allow this thought to wander down bleak path until they were out of his mess.

Vegeta whipped his head upward and snarled, "What do you want with my son?"

The bastard descended to face him. It irked Vegeta to talk to someone with the back facing him. It was disrespectful and Vegeta did not like to be disrespected, but Vegeta held his rising rage in with his palm tightly wrapped in a tight fist. He welcomed the slight pain from the laceration he caused by digging his fingernail deeply in his skins.

"Your son is our means to freedom, but we are afraid our freedom is limited to just this room," Minat paused and tilted his head downward as in deep thought. "I have a proposal. If you win, we will give your son back. If you lose, then you will set us free."

Vegeta growled and said through his clenched teeth, "How about I just shut off the system?"

"You may do so, but you may not like the outcome. Think about your son's connection to your system." Minat said.

Vegeta did not like to be blackmailed, but there was nothing he could do at the moment. Trunks only chance at surviving was to do with what the bastards say. "What do you propose?"

"A game. A simple game where we send out our strongest player and…"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Regarding the progress, I'm wondering how I'm doing with the younger Saiyans? While writing this, I think I have a bit of trouble getting in a mind of the pre-teens. Do they act their age? I love to hear your opinions.

*Rant* Gizeth/Minat is the worst creation ever! It was quite hard to write their interactions! I blamed Trunks for creating him. That's why I let Gizeth have a little bit of revenge. Mwhahhahaha *End Rant*

Anyways, thanks for reading and many thanks to those who reviewed. You do not know how much I appreciate it!


	5. Chapter 4 Gathering the Players

**A/N:** Thank you readers, reviewers, anyone who listed this as favorite story and have an alert on this fic. Means a whole lot to me!

* * *

><p><strong>Game of Life<strong>

**Chapter 4 –Gathering the Players **

* * *

><p>Trunks was always up and around, causing trouble and playing pranks wherever he went. It did not sit well with Bulma to see her son so helpless and hurt. He looked so small in the over-sized hospital bed. Bulma traced the dried scabs on his face. Her eyes traveled further down his neck then to his chest, which was now wrapped with strips and layers of bandages. She wanted to know how her son could obtain all these injuries. It did not help her sanity when the doctor told her he was in a coma and they could not tell for sure when he would awake. It could be years, they said. Bulma cursed at each and every one of them for their incompetency. She screamed for them to search wide and far for the best doctor. It took a while for the doctors to calm her down and even try to threaten her with sedation so she would not cause further harm to her unborn child.<p>

Vegeta did not help the situation either. He dropped Trunks off and immediately left the hospital, leaving her alone to conjure all different scenarios of what had happened. She sighed and brushed the fine hair on her son's head, hoping it would bring him comfort. Bulma could tell whatever Trunks was dreaming about, it was not pleasant for he was twisting and turning. Sweats seemed to pour out of his head, matting his hair to his head and drowning the pillow he slept on.

For what seemed like hours, she saw a boot appear by the window sill and then a hand by the frame. A dark spiked hair appeared soon after. "Vegeta,you bastard!" Bulma yelled. "How dare you leave me here without an explanation!"

"Bulma, I have things to take care of," Vegeta said when he fully emerged from the window. He gave the room one quick sweep and asked, "Is Goten back yet?"

"I haven't seen Goten," Bulma stated with a hint of curiosity. "He wasn't with you?

Vegeta shook his head. He walked to the bed and stood by the side. He glanced down at Trunks. "How is Trunks doing?"

"You have the nerve to ask! You think you could just dropped him off and leave? What kind of father are you?" Bulma felt her rage returning. She wanted to lash out at Vegeta for leaving her alone when she needed his comfort the most. When she looked at him again, her rage dissipated. She had never seen him worried and worried he was. There was a slight crease between his eyes as he watched their son quietly. Bulma was deciding if she should add to his troubled thought by telling him her condition as well. With a shrug, she decided to tell him another time.

"I almost killed him," Vegeta said, his gaze never leaving Trunks.

Thinking she heard wrong, she blinked a few times. "What did you say?"

"I almost delivered the finishing blow," Vegeta paused, his knuckled white from squeezing his biceps too hard. Bulma was shocked but did not show it. There must be a reason for this. She knew Vegeta and he would not hurt Trunks, not intentionally anyways. "I almost broke the promise I made to you, Bulma," he said in such a heavy voice, Bulma wanted to run to him and wrapped her arms around him but she stayed put. Tending to Vegeta's feeling could come later. Her son was more important at the moment.

"This is no time to think of any promises. We have to think of a way to help Trunks," Bulma got up, feeling the weight of her stomach grew heavier. She walked to the sink and damped the towel with hot water and returned to Trunks and wiped the wetness on his forehead. "What happened and I want to know the truth. None of your half truth, Vegeta."

Bulma waited patiently for him to continue, knowing if she pushed him, he would unlikely to speak further. "The two little brats managed to steal your key and sneaked into the simulation room to activate my files. They unleashed something they could not handle."

The pregnancy had really caused her to be forgetful and negligent. She would have never left her key out of her sight had she not been affected by the spurt of hormones. Trunks would never have a chance to steal it. "They still need a password," Bulma said, reminding Vegeta.

"Trunks is smarter than you think. I've seen his mind at work before, especially when it comes to pranks and inappropriate activities." Vegeta snorted. He was probably remembering one of the times when both Trunks and Goten bested him in a simple prank. Vegeta was screaming bloody murder and Bulma feared Vegeta just might carried out his threats.

"Trunks broke the password?" Even though Bulma sounded surprised, she was actually not. She knew the simulation room was trouble the minute she finished building it. It was a spell for disaster, but Vegeta had insisted. She had put in many securities in there to protect the users from harm and kept her son from using it without supervision. Apparently, it was not enough. She was supposed to add in a voice activation feature and even a ki detector, but with constant need to rest from her pregnancy, she had put in at the bottom of her priority list. She cursed herself beneath her breath.

"I'm afraid so," Vegeta said.

"Did he fight with one of your higher level opponent?" Bulma asked.

"No, they created their own."

"Dammit, Vegeta! Newly created opponent can't be strong. They started out as level 1 and the boys are more than capable of defeating it. Spit it out. What really happened?" Bulma was frustrated with Vegeta's short answer and she wanted to know everything.

Vegeta stayed silent. Bulma could see him contemplating how to answer her questions. Finally, he said, "Remember the glitch I told you about? It was more than a minor glitch. Their creations have the ability to speak and also spawned a personality. Their creations were physically weak, but one of them was rather smart." Vegeta paused to glance down at Trunks. "They linked themselves to Trunks mentally."

Bulma could not believe his words. Did she build a system that turned on her like how the androids turned on Gero? She briefly ran through her design in her mind and came up with nothing that would indicate a possibility of a malfunction that would cause a glitch so great it would give the life to her creation. "Do you know what you're talking about? You're telling me that the monsters can come to life."

"It would appear so. Not only that, whatever we do to them will bounced back to Trunks twice fold. It is impossible to beat the living shit out of the bastards," Vegeta said as he increased his hold on his bicep, imprinting his fingers upon his skins. Vegeta was furious. "And the system cannot not be shut down. I'm not sure why but there's an implication that it might also harm the boy."

Bulma sat in silence while she let her brain coped with the new facts. "How can that be?" she finally asked, stunned by the new revelation. "I need to go back home."

"Are you crazy, woman? You will do no such thing!" This was the first strong reaction Bulma has seen on Vegeta the whole night.

"I have to, Vegeta. I have the fix the system and I'm the only one who can do it," Bulma said as she stood up.

"There's another way to save Trunks," Vegeta said, moving to block her way to the door, towering over her with his strong stature, even though he was shorter than she was.

Before Bulma could ask, two figures zapped in the middle of the room. Bulma jumped, startled by the sudden appearance of Goku and Goten.

"Vegeta! I brought my dad here!" Goten exclaimed. He didn't wait for a reply. He ran straight to Trunks, avoiding Vegeta on the way. "How is he doing?" Goten asked. He stopped by the edge of the bed and carefully placed a hand on Trunks shoulder.

"The doctor mended his bones, but they said he is in a coma," Bulma answered as she looked at Goku with confusion. Vegeta had apparently called for Goku to come and Bulma was baffled on the reason why. Vegeta would not actively seek Goku unless the situation was beyond severe. Bulma felt her heart pounding against her chest. She did not like the feeling of dread creeping in every pore of her skins.

Both Goten and Vegeta tensed and Bulma could hear Goten muttered an apology. _They know what happened to Trunks..._Bulma thought. It did not take a genius to know they were hiding something.

"Hi Vegeta. Hi Bulma. I'm sorry to hear about Trunks," Goku said awkwardly. Bulma knew he was never good with formalities.

"Save your sympathy for someone else, Kakkarott." Vegeta growled. He moved to the back of the room and leaned against the wall.

Goku scratched his head and let out a nervous chuckle. "Goten told me everything. I guess I'll go look for Piccolo and Gohan and bring them back here."

"I'm not sure how much help the Namek-jins could provide, but he is better than nothing. Gohan might be slacking off his training again, but he should be able to hold his own." Vegeta reasoned.

"Then I'll be on my way. I should be back in less than an hour." Goku turned to Goten who was sitting beside Trunks bed, watching him as her son continued to twist and turn. "Goten, stay with Trunks. I'll be back soon." With that, Goku put two fingers on his forehead and disappeared.

Bulma stared at the empty space where Goku was standing only seconds earlier and turned to Vegeta. "I'll explain when everyone is here," he said.

* * *

><p>The stars shimmered in the distant, switching between dull and bright lights in mere seconds, blanketing the great darkness with their brilliant life. The universe was enchanting and at the same time daunting. Its grandness made the measly life of human and other species seemed insignificant. At least that was what Videl had thought a week ago. Now, she was bored from seeing the same scenery day in and day out.<p>

Videl yawned and stretched until all her bones straightened and cracked from the effort. It was their honeymoon. It was a honeymoon she had looked forward to since their wedding. On the first day, everything was going as she had envisioned. With Bulma's advice, Videl had created the perfect atmosphere filled with dimmed light and soft music to set the mood for a romantic evening. They had candlelight dinner and with the stars as the backdrop, it was almost perfect. She definitely felt their soul became one when the evening was over. She was the happiest person alive at that moment. If only the moment could last.

Videl stole a peek in the adjoining room where Gohan was busily scribbling notes. He was a young history professor of otherworldly species and since it was such an obscure subject, it was hard to find a replacement. It was not hard to imagine what he did as a solution. He had the nerve to teach the class via satellite and now he locked himself in the room correcting classwork.

Videl walked to the bedroom and plopped on the bed. She never felt so bored in her life. She would have stayed on Earth had she known that Gohan was going to ignore her. Turning sideway, Videl rested one arm under head and she caught the lace linen sticking out one of her luggage. That was a gift from Bulma. A grin surfaced on Videl's face.

"Gohan!" Videl yelled loud enough for her husband to hear. She smiled as she sat on the bed, patiently waiting for the footstep.

"What's the matter, Videl?" asked Gohan as he stuck his head in the doorway. As soon as he saw her, his mouth dropped and his face flushed with lightning speed. He cleared his throat with a forced cough.

Videl stood up so Gohan could get a clear view. Normally, she would not be so brave to give anyone such a show but boredom won out. She was grateful to Bulma for teaching her some tricks on how to capture a guy's attention.

"Videl, I'm busy right now." Gohan said unconvincingly, watching her without moving an inch.

Videl could tell he was not in a rush to return to his study room. Videl curled her fingers and motioned her husband forward. She waited and finally he took one step and another, closer to where she was.

Before he reached her, a figure appeared between them. Videl knew who he was the instant he materialized. She hid her scowl and suppressed her frustration, careful not the show her disappointment to both men before her.

"Dad! What are you doing here!" Gohan yelled out in surprise while running to Goku, completely forgot his waiting wife who was now throwing on a robe to cover her see-through sexy black lingerie.

"Gohan, Videl, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have a problem at home. We need your help." Goku said, completely oblivious to what exactly he was interrupting.

"What happened?" Gohan asked, adjusting his lopsided eyeglass back in place.

"Vegeta will explain once we're all together." Goku stated. Videl could tell there was a slight urgency in his voice and a hint of seriousness that was rare for her father-in-law.

Goku turned to her and said, "Videl, you can continue to Namek if you want, but I'll need to borrow Gohan for a couple days. I'll take him to Namek once we're finished."

Videl jumped off the bed and rushed to Gohan's side. To hell she would go by herself. "I'm coming."

Gohan turned to her and smiled. "I'm sorry, Videl. I know you were looking forward to seeing Namek. I promise to make it up to you."

Videl once again hid her frustration. Gohan was so clueless. It was not Namek she was looking forward to. It was the uninterrupted time they could have spent together. Namek was just a ploy to get Gohan away from his work and family so she could have him all to herself. She also wanted to know more of Gohan's past, the places he had visited and the people he had seen. Now her plan was ruined. She looked up at her husband and reluctantly said, "I understand. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Piccolo leaned against the free wall, observing Vegeta and his family along with Goten in silence. Goku had came to the Lookout asking for his aid. Goku did not explained what he needed his help on, but briefly mentioned that Vegeta would explain. Goku now disappeared and went to get Gohan.<p>

Vegeta had not spoken a word since his arrival, choosing to stand away from his wife and Goten and stood alone by the window. Piccolo was surprised to find Trunks in the state he was in. He remembered the half Saiyan boy was strong and not much on Earth could make a scratch let alone beaten the boy to an unconscious state. It was strange to say the least that he did not sense any powerful ki as of late. Dende also did not noticed any irregular activities.

Piccolo was patient, a virtue cultivated from his many years of mediation. He did not push Vegeta for an answer knowing it would come soon. He turned his attention to Goku's younger son. Gone was the innocence he knew the boy possessed. Goten now reminded him of the time when Gohan indirectly caused Goku's death. Guilt. Piccolo could see it clearly in the young boy's face. Piccolo once again wondered what kind of enemies they would face this time.

Piccolo closed his eyes and spread his ki to detect any sign of powerful ki within the thousand miles radius, but he could sense none. It was strange indeed. For the next few minutes, the room was silent, only an occasion moan escaped from Trunks' mouth. Then Goku, Gohan and his wife materialized in the middle of the room. Piccolo could only imagine what Goku had interrupted when his eyes fell upon Satan's daughter. She wore only a short silk robe and she tried to conceal what was underneath by wrapping the opening tightly with her arms. The fool, Goku, could at least let her change. Piccolo snickered.

"Gohan!" Goten ran to his brother with his arms wide open in attempt to hug him only to stop before the action was completed. Goten took a step back but Gohan step forward and wrapped his arms around the little boy. Piccolo saw Goten gripping Gohan on the back of his shirt and stayed there soaking in the comfort of his older brother's embrace.

"What happened here?" Gohan asked. Piccolo saw the young man gasped as he saw Trunks' current state.

Not wanting to wait any longer for an explanation, Piccolo spoke up, "That's what we're here to find out." He turned his gaze upon Vegeta and raised his left brow and asked, "Care to explain?"

It was Bulma who answered, "There was some trouble at my house. The simulation room went haywire and gave life to two enemies who took Trunks' hostage mentally. That's all I learned from Vegeta."

The simulation room. Piccolo did not have the opportunity to use the contraption invented by Bulma. He learned from Gohan that the room was a creation that drew on the memories of the players and simulated an environment or opponents from the memory. He knew Vegeta and Goku spent countless hours training and sparring in that room. He also learned from Gohan that Vegeta placed a time limit on Goku for how long he could train. Piccolo could already guess the intention behind time limit.

Piccolo was finally able to put some pieces together. He could not sense any enemies since the enemy probably had similar characteristics like the androids. They probably possessed no ki. This would explain how the boy could get so injured. Trunks probably activated a stronger opponent than he could handle. But this did not explain why he was here.

"Why are we really here, Vegeta? Do you want our help to defeat them? That's unlike you," Piccolo said as he pushed himself off the wall with a shoved from his shoulder. Piccolo knew even though Vegeta was a changed man, the pride would never disappear from the proud Saiyan. It was rare for Vegeta to ask for him and this fact intrigued Piccolo.

"Namek-jin, if I have a choice, you will not be here," Vegeta growled.

Piccolo did not take offense to Vegeta's word since he long learned the man was all threats and no bite. Judging from the current situation of his son, he knew Vegeta was in no mood to speak civilly. "But here I am. I must be of use to you for you to summon me."

Vegeta shrugged, darting his eyes right and left, avoiding any contacts with all in the room.

It was Goku who finally spoke up. "I don't know the details. Goten told me that they unleashed two enemies that have no power but managed to steal Trunks' consciousness. In order to free Trunks, we must win a game against them. If we lose, we have to set them free from the simulation room."

"But Dad, how do we free them if they can't free themselves?" Gohan asked. Gohan and his new wife stood by the end of the bed with Goten still by his side.

"That's a good question, Gohan," Piccolo said, turning to Vegeta instead of Goku. He knew Goku would not have the answer. The man was the strongest in the world but definitely not the brightest.

Piccolo caught Vegeta stealing a glance at Bulma, but she seemed not to notice. He hesitated before speaking, "They think Bulma can find a way."

Bulma's head sprung toward Vegeta and glared at him. "I find a way alright. I'll find a way to make sure they disappear from the blasted, cursed room and turn into a pile of shit!" Bulma cursed. "Bring me to the room, Vegeta. I'll make good with my threat!"

Gohan took off his glasses and wiped the lens with his shirt and placed it back before saying, "I don't think they will count on Bulma to set them free. They must know a way and need to stall for time." Gohan turned to Vegeta and asked, "What kind of games are we playing?"

"Five against five. We fight until the last one remains," Vegeta said as he walked up to Piccolo and raised his head, "And that is why we need you."

Piccolo snarled. He didn't like the feeling of being an afterthought. He knew his strengths were far below the Saiyans and had learned to except the fact, but the resentment remained. He could leave right now and let the Saiyan fight their own battle since the enemy did not seem to have the capability of destroying the world, which was Piccolo number one priority. Piccolo swallowed his pride when he heard the injured Saiyan moaned in his restless sleep. He had no qualms with Trunks and did not wish ill to fall upon him. "You will not regret. I have not been sitting idle for the past four years," Piccolo finally said after the long stare down with the short Saiyan.

"Good, make sure you can hold your own," Vegeta spun around and walked back to his old spot.

"Are you guys crazy? Of course, you are! You're a bunch of violent, bloodthirsty aliens without an ounce of brain cells!" Bulma was screaming while pointing accusingly at all of them. "I don't care what you do, but don't you dare put my son's life at risk!"

"Woman! We're trying to save Trunks!" Vegeta retorted.

"Don't woman me! If what I'm hearing is right, Trunks is somehow connected to that god forsaken room and those sorry excuse of a monster. And you're fighting in it! If the system shuts down or the monster is destroyed, what will happen to our son, Vegeta? Tell me!" Bulma demanded. She was now inches away from Vegeta's face.

"We will not fight the bastards. They will send the opponents we had created," Vegeta explained, stepping back so he could escape Bulma's wrath.

"You still don't understand, do you?" Bulma grabbed Vegeta by the straps of his tanktop and pulled him forward, "Listen, you stupid, I built the room to automatically shut down when users sustain 50% damage. Now can you guarantee that none of you will be injured?"

Everyone fell silent. Piccolo arched his eyes in confusion. Gohan did not tell him much of the technical aspects of the room and he did not know of the handicap. Judging by the look on all the faces in the room, Piccolo guessed they have all experienced this so called 50% damage.

Bulma did not wait for them to speak before continuing, "And remember Cell level 4?" Vegeta flinched.

"Bulma, can't you lift the restriction?" Videl asked, scooting behind Gohan in case the highly emotional Bulma turned her anger toward her.

"Unless I can access the room, I can do nothing," Bulma said, then paused and let go of Vegeta. "Unless..." Bulma started to pace the room with hand massaging her chin.

"Unless I can get my computer in my lab. It's not as powerful as the one in the simulation room and I will need a few days, but I think I can disable the feature. Maybe I can find out where the glitch came from."

"Then it's settled. I will return home and retrieve your computer. The game starts in two days. This should give you time to disable the handicap," Vegeta said, flipping the curtain to clear an opening from the window. He turned to the rest and said, "We meet at my house in two days."

"Wait, Vegeta! I'm coming. There are more in the labs I can salvage. I need to go through some of the old blueprints and programs," Bulma said while running to Vegeta. Had Gohan not been paying attention, he would not have caught the fallen Bulma as she tripped on a pair of slippers.

"Careful, Bulma. We don't want another one to sleep in the hospital bed," Gohan warned as he lifted Bulma to a standing position.

"Thanks, Gohan," Bulma quickly said and was about to continue toward the window only to find Vegeta missing.

"He's gone," Goku said.

Piccolo cringed when his sensitive hearing picked up the high screeching voice. "Damn you to hell, Vegeta!"

Bulma turned to Goku and demanded, "You take me home, now!"

Goku shrugged. "I don't know. Vegeta will be pretty pissed at me if I do that."

Bulma narrowed her eyes and glared at the clueless Saiyan. "Goku, I think you will find Vegeta rather pleasant after dealing with me."

Goku gulped and gave in. He walked over to Bulma and placed his hand on her shoulder and said, "Ready?"

"Wait." She turned to Videl. "Please take care of Trunks for me."

Then Bulma nodded at Goku and both disappeared from the room.

Piccolo sighed. With the Saiyan forever present in this world, there would always be a threat looming in the shadows. He could only hope that this new enemies have no means to destroy or take over the world like all the others in the past.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:  
><strong>About this chapter: I feel the pain of writing many characters in one scene. I want to give them all the same amount of screen time, but it will drag the story. Poor Goten got pushed behind the scenes for this chapter. Well enough of that, I need to start thinking more about how the game will play out! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for more Trunks in the next. I'll try my best to pick up the pace soon!

If you have a minute or two, please share your thoughts!


	6. Chapter 5 Uncertainty

**A/N**: Thanks again to all you readers and reviewers out there! This is another setting the stage chapter. Another long one ahead. I hope you enjoy it. =)

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><p><strong>Game of Life<strong>

**Chapter 5 – Uncertainty**

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><p>"Here, take this." Piccolo threw his cape to the scarcely dressed Videl.<p>

Videl snatched it from midair and nodded in appreciation. She whipped the white massive fabric across her shoulder and muttered, "Thanks, Piccolo." Videl turned to Gohan, shooting him a look that warned him of his future peril and of his punishment to come.

Gohan felt a cold drop of sweat gliding down his neck. He whispered an inaudible apology and put on his most innocent face, hoping she would forgive him for all his wrongdoing. Instead of accepting, Videl spun her head away and stomped to Trunks' side, dragging the cape against the dusty floor. Gohan knew he was doomed. He knew Videl was furious with him for bringing work on their honeymoon. It did not help when he ended it early. Granted, that was not completely his fault. Now, he even neglected to show her a simple gesture of thoughtfulness. He did not blame her for being mad.

Sighing, Gohan turned to his mentor. Piccolo gave him a sly grin, causing Gohan's blood to rush up his cheek. Ignoring his mentor's teasing, Gohan asked in a sheepish voice, "So what do you think, Piccolo?" His eyes traveled to Videl and darted back to Piccolo when he sensed her daggered stare.

Piccolo's grin faded. "I don't know enough of this so called simulation room to make any conclusions," Piccolo said, leaving his position by the wall and glimpsed at the younger Saiyan. Goten did not leave Trunks' side since Bulma disappeared moments ago. Piccolo knew the relationship between the two was closer than blood brothers, so it came to no surprise Goten felt fear and perhaps responsible for Trunks' current condition. Piccolo was considering if he should question the boy for more details. Deciding against it, he continued, "But from what I learned from you, I think we will be facing opponents from one if not all of your files."

"My thought exactly. You don't have to worry about my file, though, since I haven't been training lately. My characters are pretty low level," Gohan said, shifting his gaze back to Videl. To his relief, she was listening to him with interest. At least she was not ignoring him. He threw her a smile and she responded by spinning her head away again. Gohan's face dropped and sighed again. He should wait until her anger subsided before trying to reconcile their relationship.

Piccolo watched the newlywed exchanged silent banter. _It must be nice to be young_, he mused. Piccolo cleared his throat to bring Gohan's attention back. "One thing I don't understand," Piccolo said as he started to pace the room, "Why a game? Those two…"

"Minat and Gizeth," Goten said, filling in the blank. "They're the one we created."

Piccolo nodded, thanking the younger Saiyan, "Minat and Gizeth. They have Trunks as the trump card. They can just force us to free them."

Gohan creased his brows, frowning. He, too, has a lot of unanswered questions and Piccolo echoed one of them. Like Piccolo said, the creatures could simply demanded their freedom by using Trunks, so their proposal for a game served no purpose and that confused Gohan. If indeed Minat and Gizeth were as weak as Goten said, Gohan did not think they would not be at a disadvantage, even if they did free the two creatures. Gohan would gladly complied to their request since there should be no harm in doing so, provided there was a way.

Their true agenda was another one of Gohan's concern. Was freedom really their only intention? Gohan found it hard to believe. Most enemies they had faced in the past have a reason to fight, even though not all have world domination as the primary motive, though it most always led to world destruction. That was Gohan greatest fear. What could they gain by the game? Gohan asked himself. This whole thing did not make any sense at all. Gohan finally said, "I'm not sure what they are planning."

Videl spoke up, joining them in the discussion of the new foes. "What about the other creations? Will they also have the same traits as Minat and Gizeth?"

Gohan was stunned and he could tell his mentor felt the same. That thought had never crossed his mind. "The last thing we want is to have another Cell or Frieza running loose," he grumbled, realizing what this truly meant.

Goten finally emerged himself in the conversation. "Trunks told me that Vegeta fought with Cell level 4 a few days ago. He said his dad was saying something about Cell behaved differently than the past games. I'm not sure what was different."

"So there's a possibility that the other creations might come to life," Piccolo said, his eyes furrowed as he became deep in thoughts. "Although, they are still subject to the same limitations as our dear game master. I don't think they can leave the room so easily."

Videl's eyes widened with another insight and exclaimed, "Gohan, what if they could steal your consciousness just like they did to Trunks!" She stood and walked to Gohan who was sitting on the couch at the opposite side of Trunks' bed. Her steps were clumsy. Annoyed, she struggled not to trip over the long white cape.

At the first hint of Videl's concerned voice, Gohan brightened. He jumped up from the couch and hurried to meet Videl halfway. He grabbed both of her shoulder and smiled down at her. He looked into her violet eyes and silently conveyed his thought. _You do care. _Videl once again whipped her head away and puffed her cheeks. Knowing Videl was not really mad at him, Gohan grinned wider and said, "Videl, don't worry, once Bulma lifts the restrictions in the room, we can defeat them easily. As long as we are careful, we should be able to avoid that from happening."

"I don't want you to join the game," Videl demanded, looking up at Gohan. "unless you take me along with you."

"You heard Vegeta," Piccolo said, ignoring the two lovebirds' weird display of affection, "We already have enough fighters. There's no way Vegeta will let you in."

"Why do you guys always leave girls out as if we are damsel in distress? I'm more than capable in taking care of myself and fighting alongside you!" Videl rebutted as she glared at the tall Namek-jin.

Gohan came to his mentor's rescue and tried to reason with his fierce wife. "Videl, you know I always let you fight. We're the Great Saiyanman, remember? It's just this time is a little different. Vegeta is the one making the calls." Gohan was relieved when he saw Videl relaxed. "I promise I will not let anything happen to me," Gohan assured.

"I know I can't change your mind, but be careful," Videl said. Gohan felt a pang of guilt when he heard the worry in her voice. Seeing how his mother and Bulma dealt with his father and Vegeta's death on many occasions was enough for Gohan to understand...it was not easy living with Saiyans. Videl would likely followed the same fate as her peers. It could not be helped, Gohan thought.

Piccolo once again cleared his voice, announcing his presence to the two young couple. They seemed to forget there were others in the room. "If you guys are done, I will take my leave and returned to the Lookout. Perhaps Dende can share some of his wisdom on how to handle this messy business."

"Sorry, Piccolo," Gohan said as he let go of Videl. Embarrassed, both turned away from each other, in attempt to hide their deep red face.

"Well, we shall meet soon. Perhaps sooner than two days," Piccolo said as he turned toward the doorway. Unlike Vegeta who preferred the window exit, Piccolo was well-mannered and knew how to use the proper one.

Quickly removing the white fabric on her, Videl yelled after Gohan's mentor, "Piccolo, your cape!"

"Keep it. I have more," Piccolo said as he disappeared from the room.

Gohan turned to his brother when Piccolo left the room. He felt sorry for the kid. Goten looked tired and was unusually quiet. Normally, he would chirp and talk your ear out. "Goten, why don't you go home and rest. I can watch over Trunks."

Goten shook his head, "I want to stay a little longer."

Gohan sighed. There was no point in forcing his brother. Once Trunks recovered, Gohan was sure Goten would return to his normal self.

"Videl, you should go home and change. Come back with my mom. I want her to keep Bulma company," Gohan said.

To his surprise, Videl did not argue. She only nodded and said, "I'll be back soon. Do not leave without me or you will have hell to pay. I mean it."

Gohan gulped, nodded and said, "Yes, maam!"

Gohan heard the first chuckle from his little brother.

* * *

><p>Goku used one hand and flipped sofa upright, making a walkway for Bulma. His friend fumbled clumsily behind due to the extra baggage she carried in front of her. Goku glanced back to make sure Bulma did not accidentally trip on objects he might have neglected to clear. The door that was missing from the front was lying between the lopsided wall-size television and the coffee table, blocking their path to the end of the living room. Without effort, he lifted the metal board and tossed it away and then kicked the pile of debris aside. As he was working, Goku could sense Bulma's ki rising with each step they took; her footsteps louder by the minute; her breathing grew heavier. Goku looked over his shoulder. <em>Yup, she's mad<em>.

"Bulma, I'm sure Vegeta only thought of saving Trunks when he blasted the house," Goku said. He didn't know exactly why Bulma was mad, but if it was Chi Chi, she would definitely be furious at him for destroying their house.

Bulma did not utter a word and continued to stay silent as she followed Goku through a maze of destruction. Goku sighed. He was not good with silence. Chi Chi screamed when she was angry, hit him when she was furious and even threatened to kill him when she was outraged, but she had never given him the silent treatment. Goku tried to fill in the quietness with his voice, "So Bulma, do you think you can fix the handicap? That would be so great, you know," Goku exclaimed. "Imagine fighting without any restraints!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Does your Saiyan's brain think of anything else?" Bulma spat as her face scrounged into a tight frown.

Laughing nervously, Goku said, "Sorry, Bulma, that was thoughtless of me."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "I wish my brain is as simple as yours, then I don't have to worry about all these problems with this little game."

"What problem? We just have to defeat them, right?" Goku asked, genuinely puzzled. .

Bulma glared at Goku. "You crazy dimwit! I read through your files and guess what? You have two level 4 and one level 5 unlocked. Vegeta couldn't even scratch Level 4 Cell. What make you think you guys can defeat them easily!"

Goku blinked and shrugged. "I defeated them before so it shouldn't be a problem."

Bulma slapped her forehead in frustration. "You still don't get it. What if it's a one on one fight? Do you think Goten or Piccolo can deal with something that Vegeta has trouble with, huh?"

It finally darned on Goku on what Bulma was really trying to say. "Oh," was all he said and found himself lost for words so he kept quiet.

They finally reached the end of the room where the hallway forked into two pathways, one bringing them to the basement and the other to the simulation room where Goku was most interested in exploring. But even as dense as he was, he knew his priority was to bring Bulma safely to her destination. Goku glanced down the right path and hesitated. Before he took one step in the left direction, he heard Bulma said from behind. "Don't you dare go near that room, Goku."

"I wouldn't do something like that," Goku let out a nervous laugh, his hand rubbing the back of his head. "We're here to get your computer and leave. Yup, that's all we're doing," he reassured himself more so than Bulma.

Bulma rested her hand on her hips and slit her eyes to study Goku's reaction. "Oh please, Goku. I know you better than I know Vegeta."

Goku felt his clothing moist from the perspiration. It took all his willpower to not wipe the sweat from brows. She knew him all right. When Goten told him of the new threat, Goku couldn't help but felt a little delighted, despite what had happened to Trunks. He knew it was inappropriate for him to feel this way, but his blood cells danced at the very knowledge of new opponents. He wanted to see who they were. It was true the simulation room had provided him with a degree of entertainment, but sparring with a soulless clone lacked the exhilaration he found when fighting the original. The newly created monster could be weak now, but anything could happen in the next couple days, he thought.

"Don't worry, Bulma. I'm not an idiot. I admit I do want to see them, but I can wait," Goku said as he led the way to the lab. There was no damage on this side of the house so he relaxed a little. The last thing he wanted was Vegeta blaming him if anything happened to Bulma.

"Sure you can," Bulma muttered from behind. She said a few more things, but Goku could not catch the words due to her low voice and mumbling. Goku had experienced Bulma's mood swing whenever he dropped by her house and did his best to be on her good side. Apparently, there was no avoiding her verbal attack this time. He sighed and allowed the foul mood Bulma to rant.

They reached the lab. This was the first time Goku entered this place and he was impressed at the clutters in the room. It almost made him looked like a clean freak. Goku looked to his right and saw gadgets stacked unsteadily against the wall, almost touching the ceiling. He feared that the content could fall on them at any moment. He moved to Bulma's right side as a precaution.

"There it is!" Bulma shouted as she hurried to the desk on the far left side. She picked up a flat metallic box and flipped it open. She pressed some buttons and the screen flickered. She pressed more buttons and a familiar object appeared.

"Welcome to Capsule Corps..." the pink rodent began to say, only to be cut off by Bulma.

"Shut up, Giddymouse," Bulma commanded. "I have no time for this. Give me the current status of the system, pronto!"

Goku stood quietly behind Bulma, allowing her to work her magic.

"Yes, Master Bulma," the rodent responded and disappeared only to show up a few seconds later, "The system has been overwritten. I can not access the mainframe to retrieve the information you requested."

"Shit! I knew this going to happen," Bulma punched the table, causing the loose papers to scatter across the floor.

"You did?"

"Quiet, Goku. I have no time for your stupid questions," Bulma said as she tapped the computer a few more times.

Goku stepped back and sighed, hoping Vegeta would get here soon. An angry Chi Chi was better than dealing with Bulma right now. He heard his stomach rumbling and his thoughts wandered to the home-cooked meal Chi Chi had prepared for him before he left. He did not even eat any. Oh, he would love to get a taste of her new recipe...Goku jerked back when he heard Bulma swore loudly.

"Dammit! Giddymouse. Are you telling me all the systems in this house are now taken over!"

"Affirmative. There was a virus that infilitrated the system."

Bulma cursed repeatedly. Goku was impressed at the cursing vocabulary Bulma used. Very creative, he thought.

"Giddymouse, I want you to find the virus. Tell me the source and the type." Bulma ordered.

"Yes, Master Bulma. This will take a while."

"Go!" Bulma screamed at the screen. She took a deep breath and turned to Goku. "I can't leave. Giddymouse could only travel within this mainframe. Leaving this house will disconnect me from the only source..." Bulma stopped talking when she saw Goku's blank face. "Forget it."

"Bulma, I'll stay here with you until Vegeta's back. But what about Trunks?" Goku asked.

Bulma raked her fingers through her hair and sighed, "Can you ask Chi Chi to look after Trunks? As much as I want to be there with him, this..." Bulma tapped the computer, "is the only way I can save him."

"As soon as Vegeta's back, I'll get Chi Chi," Goku promised as he placed a hand on Bulma's shoulder. "Everything will be okay, Bulma."

* * *

><p>The street was quiet once more when all the inhabitants have turned in for the night saved a few drunken fools. The silence suited Vegeta quite well since he did not need the noise to cloud his jumbled mind. He soared pass the skyscrapers and through the misty clouds, feeling his skin burned as the brisk wind lashed against his face. He increased his speed and made a sharp turn left. Instead of returning home, he headed south to the desolated plain where he could reflect on his thought in peace. He had no intention of returning to the wretched place yet when the bastards had overtaken a part of his home. An hour or so delay would not impact the task Bulma has to perform, he reasoned.<p>

Vegeta descended on the ledge of a mountain, folded his arms across his chest and gazed at the hills and valleys ahead, staring at nothing in particular. He let out a huge sigh, his tensed muscle relaxing slightly. It had been a long time since he felt rage, panic and a whole lot of chaos consumed his very core. Truth to be told, he was a little embarrassed at his reaction over Trunks' near death experience. He was not prepared to lose the control he did, especially in front of Kakkarott's kid. It was a display of total and utter weakness. But would he have acted differently if given another chance? Vegeta asked himself. He knew the answer was he would probably do the same again.

In retrospect, Vegeta should have realized that he could bring Trunks back to life with dragon balls. Of course, they have to wait another eleven months since the idiotic duo had decided to use the dragon balls and made foolish wishes. Vegeta growled as he remembered his house was completely swarmed with slimy worms. He almost squealed in front of Bulma and her parents. And if he did, he swore no one would be alive to tell the tale. Even now, his skin crawled at the very thought of the slimy suckers. Vegeta shivered and his face turned blue just from the memory alone.

Vegeta learned later that Trunks and Goten made a wish to find out his greatest weakness - his greatest phobia. They used his phobia against him as a retribution for taking away the boy's allowance for a month. _To use a wish on something so trivial…_Only Trunks could think of such schemes, Vegeta mused.

Despite the pranks his son had occasionally bestowed upon him, Vegeta did find the boy entertaining. He could never guess when Trunks would strike next and more often than not, the boy always bested him. Vegeta snickered. He admitted Trunks has quite a bit of skills, though Vegeta was not without talent. Thinking back on one of his revenge on the two boys, the side of his lips curled up. _Revenge was sweet indeed._ For the past few years, Vegeta found himself taking small pleasure in simple human activities where his son was involved. Not that he would ever tell Trunks that.

Vegeta's brow creased as his mind returned to the present. As much as Trunks infuriated him at times, he could not bear the fact he might lose the boy. Like Bulma, Trunks was now a part of his life. No matter the cost, Vegeta would find a way to overcome this new threat and save him. With rekindled resolve, he kicked his feet on the dirt and sprang into the air.

* * *

><p>His mind was tangled between darkness and awareness, consciousness and nothingness. It did not help that the world outside was eerily quiet. He did not hear the wind blowing or the birds chirping. He could not even hear the sound of the dead. <em>Where is he? <em>

Seconds passed and then minutes and still his body refused to obey his command. Finally he felt a slight tingle in his fingers. They started to twitch. Progress, he thought triumphantly. The next minute, he focused on moving his heavy lids. The first attempt was a failure as the heaviness was too much for him. He stayed still and recollected his strength. He tried again and the lids started to widen, but he could only see more darkness between the tiny slit. The darkness scared him. He had never felt this alone in his life. With fear fueling his body, his eyes flipped open. His head leaped into the air, only to crash back on the solid ground. Stars danced above his head, filling his vision with blurred white speckles. He felt a sudden urge to expel all the contents from his empty stomach.

Trunks groaned. His body felt as if it was blown to many pieces and his bones felt shattered and broken. Once again, he tried to summon his energy and make another attempt to sit up. Instead of rushing, Trunks took his time and slowly lift his body upright with his sore arms. He gritted his teeth as the waves of pain shot through his nerves. "What the hell happened to me?" he muttered. Even the effort of speaking caused his body to tremble.

What seemed like eternity, Trunks managed to sit. He lifted his hand to hold his throbbing head, shaking it slightly. He instantly regretted it as he felt another wave of nausea overwhelmed his five senses. He held his breath and allowed the wave to pass. He never felt his sick since the time he caught the flu. Groaning, he peeped through his parted fingers to scan the room. He has some recollection of where he was before passing out. He was still in the room filled with golden plates. He had thought it was all a dream but apparently it was not. Feeling he has regained more strength, Trunks tried to lift his butt off the ground. It took a few tries, but at long last, he managed to stand, his leg shaking uncontrollably.

Trunks grimaced when he took his first step. All the bones in his body felt like it was snapped in half. It was strange. Before he lost consciousness, he did not remember fighting. How did he injure himself? Trunks wondered.

He remembered the strange image of his mom, dad and a little girl. The scene was so real that he thought it had actually happened. _The little girl...his soon to be sister..._Trunks frowned. When his mom announced he was going to have a little brother or sister, Trunks was not too thrilled, especially when he saw the ecstatic look on his mom's face. His dad grumbled, of course, and Trunks could not tell how his dad really took the news. Trunks really did not mind a sister, but he feared that his hard earned affection from his father would soon be a thing of the past if the baby arrived. He feared that his parents would favor the second child more than him. And the image he saw earlier only intensified the feeling of dread. Trunks shook his thought away. There was no point in thinking of this now.

Trunks noticed a familiar glass panel to his right and another flood of memories poured into his brain. "Dad!" he cried as he limped toward the panel, dragging his left feet from behind. When he reached the panel, he immediately looked through the glass and found the scenery had changed. He could not see the blue grass and the bushed trees. Trunks squinted his eyes and browsed through the new scenes looking for his father and Goten. Disappointment soon followed when there was no sign of them.

"You must be Trunks," a voice said. Trunks spun around trying to locate the source. When he realized he was still alone, he returned his attention to the panel. Sure enough, an image of a familiar face appeared.

"Minat! How?" Trunks shouted. His confusion deepened. _Goten didn't defeat him?_ Another memory surfaced as he vaguely remembered his dad fighting them. "Where's my dad?"

"Relax, little one," Minat said.

Trunks snarled at the title this creature gave him. He was hardly little anymore. _How dare him!_

"We come to tell you not to worry. You should be safe in there," Minat continued, "At least for now."

"Where exactly is here?" Trunks asked through his clenched teeth.

"You are in the system," Minat explained, "at least your subconscious is."

"I don't see why you're wasting time explaining this shit to him," said the voice behind Minat, "He was the one who created us as the monster we are. Let him rot in there."

Minat sighed, ignoring the other voice, "If it was not out of desperation, I would not have you captured."

"I'm in the system? And what do you mean captured?" Trunks did not understand a single damn word the monster was spewing.

"Your body is in this world. You are talking to us through your subconsciousness. In a sense, you are not real."

Trunks' mouth widened to form a word, but he could not find his voice. _How could this be?_ _I'm trapped in my mom's creation?_

"We must prepare for the battle ahead. I deeply apologize for your distress, but in order for us to free ourselves, we must do what we must," Minat said.

For some reason, Trunks believed his sincerity. It did not mean he would forgive him for locking him in this dreadful place. "Let me out or my dad will fry your sorry ass!"

A roaring laughter filled the other side of the screen. "Fry our ass? Our ass is pretty safe right now, thanks to you!" the other voice said after his laughter died. "Like Minat said, we have no time for you now. Rot in there, kid." Suddenly, the image disappeared, leaving only the view of landscape that resembled his home planet.

"Come back here! Let me out and fight like a man, you cowards!" Trunks screamed as he pounded the durable slab of glass. After a few minutes, when the two did not return, Trunks stopped and kicked the panel. Forgetting his injured leg, he tumbled onto the ground. Trunks screamed into the darkness, releasing all his frustrations. When his voice was spent, he fell silent and felt his brain started to work again. He could not let this stop him from finding an escape, he thought. If there was a way in, there should be a way out.

Trunks stood up slowly, careful not to agitate his wound. He turned a full circle and noticed again he was surrounded by golden plates. He limped slowly to one and examined the golden structure. The word, Cell, was written in the front. Interesting, Trunks thought. He limped to the next and read, "Buu." Trunks examined a few more and found that most were names of the opponents created for the simulation room.

Trunks limped to the next set of plates. This time, instead of names, dates were inscribed in the front. "Year 762," Trunks repeated the word on the panel. That was 16 years ago. He was not sure of the significant for that particular year, but vaguely remembered his mom told him she went to Namek around that time.

He moved to the one in the back and said, "Year 767" This date Trunks was familiar with. It was the year when the androids and Cell almost destroyed Earth. Goten and Trunks often talked about it since his future self had visited during that time.

When he traced the lettering on the plates and saw a slight line running along the sides. He dug his fingers in between and started to pull. Suddenly, the plate split open. Trunks stood in shock. Within the open door was a landscape he knew well. It was Earth.

Trunks examined the other one and sure enough, he saw a similar line. _Could it be? Could these plates be storage of memories?_ Trunks pondered. He also wondered what happened if he stepped through them. His eyes wandered to the plate with the year 767 and back to the one in front of him. Curiosity trumped his caution. With his decision made, he decided to give one a try.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **So I was watching the Buu saga again and saw this episode with Vegeta and his fear of worms! I couldn't resist putting this little segment in. Either that or writing a one-shot on it! And yes, Vegeta almost squealed in that episode. Hehehe.

I really thought I could wrap this up with ten or so chapters. Wishful thinking. Oh well, more writing ahead!

Anyways, I love to hear from you. Drop me a line and let me know what you think! I don't normally write with such a huge cast, so if you find any OOCness, don't be afraid to tell me so.

Hope you see you next chapter!


	7. Chapter 6  The Schemes

**A/N: **I'm going to waste a little space here to give thanks to all the reviewers. Thanks GCTIGERFAN1, ansam, Majin Putty and johncorn for your continuous support. Thanks iloveyou, pallyndrome, Tensa-Zangetsu102, Cara2012, The0Blind0Writer for your review! Your support has become my source of motivation! And some of your questions/comments also made me rethink about some of the plot elements. I really do appreciate it! And thanks to all the readers and those who have this fic on alerts and favorites!

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><p><strong>Game of Life<strong>

**Chapter 6 – The Schemes**

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><p>Time flew by as Bulma concentrated on the blueprints before her. In the dark basement where nights and days were one, Bulma had lost track of what hour it was and she did not care. All Bulma knew was she has a daunting task of saving her son and possibly the life of all her friends.<p>

Bulma massaged her temples with both thumbs, loosening the knots forming around her heavy lids. From the tunneled vision between her hands, Bulma's eyes lingered on the empty ashtray hidden behind the rows of stacked books. How she wished she could take a drag of the foul substance now. Sighing, she lowered her hand to pick up the next best thing, coffee. She took a sip. The aroma of the bitter stench assaulted her nose, slightly rousing her from the growing drowsiness. It was not enough, but it would do for now.

Bulma's gaze fell upon her unborn child and sighed. It was as if fate has decided to test her endurance. Not only did Bulma have Trunks' condition to deal with, she also has to be wary of her health. It was fortunate the result showed she only have partial placenta pervia. Even though Bulma had skillfully convinced her doctor from confining her to the hospital, she was still under strict order to rest. Her doctor warned her of the consequences. Bulma knew what was at stake if she refused to follow her doctor's advice. But she was now faced with two threats, one on the life of her son and the other on the life of her unborn daughter. Bulma took another sip. It was not difficult to come up with a final decision on which was more important. Her son's situation was more immediate and it was within her ability to fix. Her health, on the other hand, was beyond her capability to control. Bulma took another sip before placing the cup next to the pile of long white papers and returned to her work.

"You look like shit, woman. Get some rest," Vegeta demanded from behind. Vegeta was right where she left him hours ago, leaning against the feeble shelves by the exit. From the way he squeezed his biceps on his folded arms, Bulma could tell he was on alert for any signs of foul play from their uninvited guests. Vegeta was not pleased to learn that they would be spending the remaining time under the same roof as her son's captor and frankly, neither was she.

Bulma ignored her husband's demand. With renewed energy from the caffeine, she plowed through one blueprint after another. After she scanned through one page, she threw it behind her, forming a pile of crumbled papers. When she came upon one with possible lead, she slowed her pace and traced the model drawing. She quickly read the note and frowned when it did not have the information she was looking for. She threw it back with the rest of the pile.

She heard footsteps stomping against the oak hardwood floor. Again, she ignored it. She flipped through another page. Suddenly, Bulma heard a swooshing sound followed by a gush of wind. The workstation vibrated as Vegeta slammed his fist on the top sheet, blocking the words. "Did you hear me, woman!" Vegeta shouted beside her ear.

Trying to calm herself, Bulma took a deep breath. "Even our deaf cat can hear you, Vegeta," she said through her tight jaws. She did not need this now. She had not showered; had not slept; had not eaten. Her house was infested with unknown viruses. The monsters lived just across the damn room. Trunks was still in the hospital and his condition did not improve. Their unborn child was now at risk from some stupid crap illness. And now she has a temperamental husband to deal with. If she could form ki blast, she would gladly shut Vegeta up by blowing him out of this room, just to vent her frustrations. But she could not. And it was probably not wise to get into a full blown argument right now so she held her anger. "Unless you can fix the damn system, don't bother me," Bulma said as she swatted his hand away, her voice filled with irritation.

She knew Vegeta was also not in the best of mood and her action would only escalate his foul temper, but she did not care. As expected, she heard a low growl and she readied herself for a heated confrontation. Before he could respond, the laptop made a beeping noise and the image of pink critter flickered on the screen.

All their built up tensions dissolved instantly as they turned their attention to the bright screen at the end of the workstation. Bulma ran and grabbed the side of monitor. Shaking it, she shouted, "Giddymouse, it's about time! Report!"

"Master Bulma, I am not able to identify the type, but able to locate the source. On May 23, a virus was released into the system through IP address 102.10.402 –" Bulma cut him off.

"Wait…did you say 102.10.402?" Bulma repeated the address to confirm. She could see from the corner of her eyes, Vegeta stood beside her with mild confusions on his face. It was obvious he knew next to nothing when it came to computer technologies. Not to say he was ignorant of technology, since he was quite capable when he served under Frieza. It was he chose not to dabble with it when he claimed his number one priority was training.

"Affirmative," the critter responded.

Bulma's jaw dropped open. She slowly turned to face Vegeta and managed to say, "Vegeta, that came from Trunks' room."

Vegeta was still for a second. Bulma could almost see his thoughts running through his head. In the next second, a scowl appeared and his fist slammed on the workstation once again, almost breaking the metallic table in half. "Great! Just great! I swear if that kid wakes up, I will put him back to sleep with my own hands! Damn kid got way too much time on his hand!"

Bulma grimaced and cowered a little from Vegeta's outburst. "Calm down, Vegeta. Trunks is still a kid. Kids do these kinds of brainless stuff," Bulma reasoned.

Bulma heard a sharp hmph. Sighing, Bulma turned to the computer. "Giddymouse, how did Trunks release the virus?"

"Records showed that there was an attempt on a system breach on May 19 to May 23. A small virus was created…"Bulma cut the rodent off again.

"And why did you not report this to me?" Bulma accused the pink critter.

"Master Bulma, I was programmed to only respond on demand. It was not requested of me," the critter said, batting its eyes and rubbing its paws.

Vegeta snickered from behind and said, "I'm surprised you didn't have this little punk reported all our secrets to you."

Bulma sent Vegeta a deadly glare to silence him. He growled but did not speak another word.

Bulma bit the tip of her thumb and stitched her brows in concentration. Finally she asked, "Was the virus created internally or was it transferred from an outside source?"

"It was coded internally."

"This might explain how the system was hacked into," Vegeta said as he tossed a piece of plastic on the table. "I found it on Trunks when I brought him to the hospital."

Bulma picked up the plastic card, flipped it around and groaned. Of course, that would explain how Trunks could access the room in the first place. Again, Bulma should have known that Trunks would pull a stunt like this. She had seen him crack codes in his game with ease. "Trunks must have accidentally programmed a virus when he tried rewriting the codes to make a copy of the access key," Bulma explained more so to herself.

"What exactly are we dealing with here, Bulma?" Vegeta asked.

"I don't know. Without knowing the type of virus, it's hard to speculate what are the damages to the system. To counter the attack, we must know the exact type," Bulma explained as she rubbed her chin. "I can make educated guess, but it will not do us any good at the moment." She heard Vegeta growled. She knew he was looking for a straight answer, but the fact was there were too many variables to consider.

"Forget about the damn viruses! What are the chances of you lifting the handicap? If it is low, I say we come up with a plan B," Vegeta explained in a calculating voice. Bulma could tell he was coming up with a strategy, which probably involved fighting and bloodsheds. Then again, Vegeta did show his brilliant strategic battle intellect during the fight on Nameks. Perhaps he could really devise a plan. "It's safe to guess, the bastards will send out the strongest fighters. If we can convince them to not fight one on one, then Kakkarott can defend against three while two of us can fight in pair against one." Vegeta's attention was no longer on her. His head was tilted down and his eyes closed. Bulma guessed he was running scenarios in his mind. Finally, he opened his eyes and said, "The success of this plan lies with speed and Kakkarott's ability to avoid injuries. It is not a guarantee win, but this is the best we have."

Bulma understood fight as much as Goku understood computer, but one thing she knew was during the heat of battle, caution was the last thing on anyone's mind. She highly doubted that the power fanatic Saiyans would gauge their own injuries. Even if there was a point one percent chance that Trunks could lose his life, Bulma was not willing to take the gamble. They have another day to increase the probability of success and she planned to use every minute of it to find a solution. She turned to the monitor. "Giddymouse, is it possible to access sector 934? If I remember correctly, it is far from the mainframe. The virus might not have spread to that part yet."

The critter disappeared and returned within a few seconds and responded, "Affirmative. Sector 934 is free of viruses."

For the first time since her journey to the hospital, Bulma felt elated. All the ill feelings disappeared. She threw her arms around Vegeta and gave him a wet smack on the cheek. She let him go and said, "Sector 934 is a black box I created for emergency. With luck, I think I can reprogram the shutdown design logic just using that part!"

"With luck," Vegeta reminded her.

"I have another day, anything is possible…"

* * *

><p>"This is getting ridiculous, Minat! How much longer do I have to stand around while you talk to that measly little mouse!"<p>

"Be patience, Gizeth," Minat said with a sigh. It has only been a day and already, Gizeth was growing impatient. He knew his other half was irritated from being stuck in a standing position for hours on end, but there was naught he could do. Minat had to make sure that all was going as intended. He needed to communicate with the computer in order to move forward with his plan.

"Patience!" Minat could hear Gizeth spit out the word with vexations. "Is that all you know how to say? I thought you're the brain, surely you have more vocabularies than that!"

With their head only inches apart, it was nearly impossible to zone out the voice behind him. It took great concentration to achieve this undertaking, but Minat managed. Though he knew he would have to return to Gizeth's whining soon to keep him from getting too bored.

Minat returned his attention to the paneled monitors. These bright screens felt out of place in this deserted but soothing surrounding. He had chosen the scenery from the same planet Trunks, his creator, resided on. To him, it was even more exquisite than the last area. Instead of the low blue plains, he was now surrounded by low and high green hills. On the lower hills, he could see alternating colors of fiery red, shining gold and icy blue flowers bloomed alongside the weed-filled path. Minat closed his eyes and breathed in sweet fragrance in the air.

He could stay here forever, Minat thought. He did not even mind if this world was programmed. It was real enough for him. But alas, even if he wished so, the owner of this room would eventually force them out. Not to mention, Gizeth would oppose this idea. To him, imprisonment was imprisonment whether it was in a land of beauty or a sea of darkness.

So now, Minat must find a way to leave this entrapment and to guarantee their safety once they reached their goal. From the collective memories of the inner system, he had found many useful facts in regards to the enemies he was going to face. Saiyan was a race full of savages and brutes whose only enjoyment was to fight. At least that was what the memories showed. There was, however, a slight contradiction to the information he gathered and the real life version. Whatever the reason, Minat had to plan for the worst case scenario. And if there was a chance that the Saiyan could still be the brute they were, Minat felt they could be in serious trouble. No, it would not be wise to confront the Saiyans when his strength was so low. Though, what Minat lacked in strengths, he gained in knowledge. Knowledge of the woman who built this system and knowledge of the existence of the virus that had given them life.

"Giddymouse, have you given Bulma the information she needed?" Minat asked the pink rodent on the screen.

"Yes, Master Minat," the rodent replied.

"Does she know of Tysfia?"

"Only the source."

"What is Bulma's plan of action at the moment?" Minat asked.

"As you predicted, cleaning Sector 934 of infection has encouraged Master Bulma to focus on repairing the shutdown system," the rodent reported.

"Did she suspect your words on the infestation to her whole system?" Minat asked. Tysfia was a virus that could manipulate the existing codes and enhanced the programming logic such as the decision-making trees. But there was a weakness with Tysfia. It has a slow capability of multiplying itself. Though majority of the sectors within the system was infested, the mainframe has not been infiltrated yet. Until that time arrived, Minat has to be cautious of his next move.

"Negative. We have created an illusion of the mainframe being controlled by Tysfia. Even if Master Bulma checked the validity of my words, she will find enough truth in it."

Minat breathed a sigh of relief. He knew of Bulma's intelligence since she was the mastermind behind this virtual world and the master of the little rodent. From the classified information he gathered from Giddymouse, Minat learned a great deal on Bulma's skills and competency. He knew she was quite capable of finding their weaknesses. Minat could not allow her to focus on the virus when his plan involved keeping Tysfia from being destroyed. So far, it was all going according to how he expected, but he could not relax. He could not calculate how long it would take Bulma to repair the shutdown system. If it was earlier than intended, then he would be in trouble. Somehow, he would need to device another backup plan.

"Giddymouse, if she asks of Tysfia again, tell her it is a rare strand of Trojan horse, but do not tell her which strand. She will believe you since Tysfia has similar characteristics," Minat said. He hope this piece of information would lead her astray, at least until all was too late for her to counteract.

"Yes, Master Minat," said the rodent and then spun around like a tornado. "Master Bulma summoned me. I must return."

"Remember, Giddymouse. Give only enough information so she could be distracted," Minat reminded the pink rodent.

"Yes, Master Minat," said the rodent before disappearing from the screen.

"I don't get you, Minat. Why are you wasting time talking to a damn mouse? Don't you think we should be preparing for the battle ahead?" Gizeth said with annoyance. He shifted slightly to his right, causing Minat to catch a glimpse of his own reflection through the shadowed corner of the screen. Minat flinched and quickly cast his eyes to the side. Minat understood now why those Saiyans seemed disturbed and furious whenever they looked upon him. Even he felt the same disgust when he saw the wide cracked lips stretched across his face in a frozen smile. His jagged sharp teeth spilled out his mouth in crooked layers. Minat felt that his image was at odd with who he really was.

Minat sighed, fixing his eyes on the pink rodent, shifting his gaze away from the monstrous face. "The staging of the battle is complete, Gizeth. There are not else I could do in that aspects. The priority here is to prevent Bulma from figuring out and ruining our plan."

Minat heard Gizeth snickered from behind. "Bulma? You mean a woman? Please, what can a woman do to us?"

Minat sighed again. Without a body to control, there was no much he could do to express his growing impatience with his other half. Not only that, from the one day of released into this world, Minat felt extremely disconnected from this body. When he was relaxed, the body tensed. When he was soaking the beauty of his surrounding, his body heated with anger. His wish for freedom did not end with this room. His most desired wish was to be free from his other half.

"I fear the woman more so than the violent Saiyans. Brain is a far greater weapon than brawn," Minat explained, knowing his reasoning would be lost on his other half.

"Sure it is. Once we become the most powerful being on this planet, I'm sure we'll have much use for your brain," Gizeth said as he burst out in laughter.

"True, I agree if we do reach that point. But do not forget, we can still be turn off with a flick of a switch. We are but binary numbers made of ones and zeros," Minat warned. It was a sad fact. A fact he learned from the brief moment when he returned to the inside of the system.

He felt his body shrugging. "Whatever. Back to the battle. Who are you going to send out?"

"That will depend on who will participate in the game," Minat said. He felt uneasy sending out the most powerful characters. It would be hard to control them once they were released, since there was no doubt that those characters would exhibit the same personalities as their originals. It was a shame that the Saiyans had only developed their adversaries not their comrades.

"The stronger the better," Gizeth said, moving away from the screen. Minat felt his body shaking and guessed that Gizeth was punching the invisible air. "That way, we can guarantee we can level our power quickly."

"Simple thinking, Gizeth. To control such power requires great concentration. With the slightest mistake, we could very well be victims to the ones we control."

"Tsk. You think way too much," Gizeth said as he flew through the plains. Minat closed his eyes and welcomed feeling of the wind brushing against his face. Feeling his worries melting away, Minat thought perhaps Gizeth was right. Perhaps all would be fine at the end.

"I say that Frieza is quite a character..." Gizeth laughed as he zipped through the coned trees.

A soft sighed soon followed...

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><p>It seemed the world had decided to take vengeance upon him, Vegeta thought. He, one of the most powerful being on the planet, has been reduced to a pawn waiting to be moved by some weaklings. Worst of all, he was now made prisoner in his own home. He detested wasting time loitering around, playing bodyguard. But there was not else he could do except wait. Vegeta gritted his teeth and scowled. When that little brat awakened, Vegeta was sure to execute the worst possible punishment. He did not know what it was yet, but Vegeta was damn sure it would make the boy's life miserable.<p>

"Vegeta, stop making angry faces over there and get some sleep. You'll need it for tomorrow." Bulma said from the other side of the room. Her face was glued to the computer and her fingers never left the keyboards. Her eyes rolled left to right and back to left with enough speed to make a Saiyan proud. Could that woman really read that fast? He wondered.

Vegeta shifted upright, sliding his butt closer against the metal shelf. "I can say the same to you," Vegeta said. She did look like shit. Vegeta knew woman like her did not like black circles under their eyes or skins hanging from their cheeks. Perhaps, Vegeta could kindly bring her a mirror so he could get his point across of how disgustingly tired she looked. He smirked at the thought.

"I'm different. I don't have an earth shattering battle ahead of me," Bulma said sarcastically, looking across to meet Vegeta's eyes. "My part in this is prevention, not intervention. I don't need to save my energy."

His woman was so damn stubborn. Vegeta could tell she was on the verge of collapsing. For the time being, Vegeta was no help except to act as a bodyguard. His inability to share the burden with his woman frustrated him, but unless he knew how the system worked, he could do nothing but wait.

"I'm a warrior, a couple nights of not resting will not kill me," Vegeta said as he folded one leg and pulled his knee close to his chest and rested his arm on it. He did feel drained, if not physically, then emotionally. It only had been less than a day since the incidents with Trunks but it felt like ages ago.

"Don't be stubborn. You know as well as I do that our guests can't leave the room. There's no point for both of us to stay awake. Beside it only adds to my pressure with you staring at me," Bulma said, returning to her work once again.

"I was not staring, woman!"

"Whatever." He saw her rolled her eyes. Vegeta scowled and whipped his face toward the exit. "Seriously, I don't know if I could fix this damn thing by tomorrow. If you're fighting with less than full energy -"

Cutting her off, Vegeta said, "Fine. I'll do as you wish, but sleep will not come easy when I'm in this dreaded place."

"Try."

Vegeta growled. He did not like to be commanded, but did not feel like arguing further for it would go no where. He tilted his head back further into the metal shelf and shut his eyes to feint sleep so his woman could stop nagging him. He extended his ki to flow through all parts of the house. Any movement from the bastards would alert him. Vegeta did not trust the bastards.

For the next couple minutes, all he heard was tapping of the keyboards. The repetitive sounds caused his mind to drift. His thoughts became clouded as the world of shadows forced its presence into his conscious. His alertness heightened, warning him something was amiss. He tried to pry his eyes open, but they, too, grew heavy.

Vegeta tried twitching his fingers, an act that often worked when he wanted to escape his nightmarish dreams, but that, too, was impossible, for his body refused his command.

Projection of golden structures was forced into his mind. In the distant, Vegeta could see a lavender haired boy…

_Trunks!_

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><p><strong>AN: **Okay, confused yet? Bored with the geeky talk yet? I hope not! Anyways, I'm not a computer expert so some of the terms might be off.

It also saddened me to cut a whole scene (poor Goten!) out because this chapter was simply too long. I could easily pass the 6000+ words mark if I leave it in.

More on Trunks and Vegeta in the next chapter! Hope to see you there!

Please review if you have a minute. If not, thanks for reading anyways!


	8. Chapter 7 Into the Past Part 1

**A/N: **Thank you, Majin Putty, for beta-ing this chapter! You don't know how grateful I am! P.S. I've added some more words after she finished beta-ing. If you find any grammatically mistakes, the fault was all mine. She did a wonderful job!

Thanks again to all the reviewers, old and new! I really appreciate all your comments. And thank you to all the readers! I will never get tired of giving my thanks! ^_^

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><p><strong>Game of Life<strong>

**Chapter 7 - Into the Past **

**Part 1**

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><p>"Trunks!" A voice shouted from behind.<p>

Trunks recognized the deep, rough voice. But the owner of that voice should not be here. As far as Trunks knew, he was the only one in this dark place. Was that his dad? _But how?_

Trunks tried to turn around, to verify the source, but it was too late. His feet had already crossed the border between his prison and the fictitious world beyond. In desperation, he grabbed the edge of the golden frame, trying to pull himself back into the room. His hand met with air. The doorway became distant.

"DAD!" Trunks cried out as his body spiraled down. Trunks quickly gathered his ki and came to a complete halt, wincing when he felt a sharp pain shot up his left leg. Ignoring it, Trunks whipped his head to the area where the doorway should have been. Now all he saw was the endless sky.

Trunks waited to see if there was a chance his dad followed him. Minutes passed and still no sign of anyone emerging from the area. Trunks sucked in his disappointment. It could be his imagination. He could be hearing things. Beside there was no way his dad could be here. It must be another illusion.

"Dad…" Trunks muttered, dropping his chin to his chest. He did not know what he was doing here. Why did he come? What did he want to get out of this? To know his dad better? Was it just curiosity? Trunks was so deep in thought that he did not sense the powerful ki appearing behind him.

"Great! Just great! So all these stupid spawns of mine decide they can just pop in from the future for a visit!"

Trunks popped his head up and his mouth dropped open. Before him was his father, dressed in a blue body suit and a white mid waist armor. Trunks could immediately tell the father in front of him was not the same dad he had known all his life. The man before him was almost a replica of the dad he knew, but there were definitely differences. The man's eyes were harder and the scowl was deeper, even the crossed arms wrapped tighter against his chest as if protecting himself from any intruders.

Trunks had not expected to interact with anyone in this conjured world. Well, he had not known what to expect when he had decided to step through the opening, but it was certainly not this. How was it possible he could communicate with them anyways? It was logically impossible. Events should happen as they were meant to be. By interacting, Trunks was altering a memory sequence. Confused and bewildered, Trunks did not know how to respond, so he kept his mouth shut.

"Father!" Behind his father, Trunks saw an awfully familiar face. A teenage boy, dressed in purple jacket with a sword strapped behind his back, drifted closer to his younger father. This was awkward. It was one thing seeing a younger version of his father, but another to see an almost identical version of himself. If Future Trunks were not older and taller, Trunks would have sworn he was looking into a mirror.

Future Trunks glided behind the one who resembled his dad, stopping when their eyes met. "What…?" The same bewildered expression appeared on his face.

"What, did I die in your timeline? Are you looking for some fatherly love like this kid here?" his dad mocked, swinging his thumb over his shoulder, pointing at the older Trunks. A sneer appeared on his face. Future Trunks turned pink in the cheeks.

Trunks felt his anger rising when he saw his younger father ridiculing his future self. It was not cool. His dad would never do such thing to him. His dad might ignore or yell at him, but he would never put him down like that. Trunks gave his best Vegeta's scowl and rebutted, "I have plenty from my own dad, so I don't need shit from you!"

A roaring laughter filled the land. His younger father was practically in tears. This caused Trunks to scowl deeper, matching his younger father's earlier face. Slitting his eyes, Trunks asked, "What's so funny?"

"No matter what timeline you come from, I, the super-elite prince of all Saiyans, would never show any love towards half spawn like you," his younger father said as his laughter faded way.

Trunks smirked, "Then you'll be in for a surprise."

* * *

><p>Vegeta was pissed. He was so pissed. He had never felt this pissed before. That was a lie, but nonetheless, Vegeta still felt like finding his blasted son so he could clobber the boy's senselessness from his head. Had Trunks done as he was told and not messed around with the freaking room, none of this would have happened. Vegeta would not be stuck in this damn place where it reeked of his own essence. His thoughts were everywhere. The raw emotions of failure, resentment and bitterness poured through the air. Vegeta remembered these emotions all too well.<p>

Unlike the incident with Babidi, the overwhelming feeling did not come from within, since Vegeta had long cast away his self pity and discontentment the day he recognized Kakkarrot was the strongest. But here he was, in a place polluted by his ancient thoughts. A whirlwind of his past actions and words flashed through his mind. Vegeta did not like being reminded of his past. It was not like he was ashamed of it, far from it. Once his mind traveled to his past, Vegeta would often wonder what it would have been like had he never come to Earth; had his path never crossed with Kakkarot; had he never met Bulma. Those thoughts, once triggered, would cause the Saiyan prince to think if he had made the right choice.

_- I will reign over the universe! -_

The universe. Whatever happened to that goal? Now that he thought of it, what would he have done with an empire? Would he have followed Frieza's footsteps? Purged all the planets so he could live in riches while others cowered before him? He was not uncomfortable with the life he had now, but Vegeta could not help but wonder what if...

_- I will surpass them all! -_

Vegeta growled, his agitation growing. He did not know why, but the atmosphere around him stirred up unwanted memories. Vegeta shut the thoughts out and refocused his mind back to the present. The past, his past was a dangerous territory to tread. Letting his anger consume him instead, he searched for his idiotic son's ki.

Two miles south, he felt two identical ki signatures and one that he knew quite well. Vegeta hesitated. Damn kid was seriously giving him a migraine.

Vegeta knew he should not have followed his brainless son. He knew when he saw the year 767 inscribed on the damn plate, nothing good would happen. The last thing he remembered was his quarrel with Bulma before he faked sleeping. The next thing he knew, he saw Trunks standing by some great doorway. At first, Vegeta had thought he was dreaming, but his mind was too clear, though Vegeta had known he was not awake either. Following Trunks was definitely a mistake, especially when the one person he did not wish to encounter was only a short distance away.

Vegeta picked up his speed and flew south. It did not take long to reach his destination. Not far from him, Vegeta saw Trunks in front of a man and his future son. Vegeta grunted and quickly suppressed his ki, but it was too late. Trunks had already spotted him.

"Dad!" his son cried out. He could see the Trunks wincing as he moved through the air, flying toward him. The boy looked like he had been to hell. Through his trained eyes, Vegeta estimated that Trunks had a few broken bones and his face was a sickening color of black and blue. His earlier anger with Trunks faded, replaced with slight concern. _Who the hell did this to him?_ _No one should be powerful enough to cause this much damage to a son of his!_

A mirror image of himself emerged. Vegeta looked at Trunks and back to the man, not even noticing that he was staring at himself, at least his past self. His eyes thinned in a tight slit and demanded, "Did you do this to him?"

His mirror image smirked. "So what if I did?"

Vegeta snarled. No one touched his damn son, not even his past or future self. Only he was entitled to beat the boy senseless. Vegeta moved forward and raised his fist. "You will find out soon enough!"

Trunks quickly intersected his dad, one arm extended. "No, Dad! It was not them!"

"Then who the hell did this to you!" Vegeta spun back to Trunks, glaring at the boy.

"I don't know. I was unconscious in that room and when I woke up, I was like this. I'm not even sure what happened," Trunks explained.

Vegeta cursed. It was those scumbags. Those freaking bastards had vowed that Trunks was safe and no harm would befall him. _They fucking lied! They're going to pay for this!_

_"_You are me, how dare you show affection to the half spawn! In public no less," the younger Vegeta spat, disgust clearly on his face.

Vegeta threw his head back and let out a sharp, short laugh. "No. You have it the other way around. _You _are me. And what I do or don't do is none of your goddamn business!" Vegeta shot back. His bottled up frustrations needed an outlet and it appeared someone was volunteering to be just that. Vegeta pulled up his lips into another snarl.

"Stop it, Father! We need to get to the bottom of this first. Fighting will not help the situation!" Vegeta pulled his glare away from his younger self and turned to the source of the voice. His son from the future appeared before him, hair cut short similar to his own son. Future Trunks' height only an inch or so taller than him. So they had not not entered the Room of Time and Space yet, Vegeta thought.

Future Trunks glanced at him and quickly darted away when their eyes met briefly. Still the shy one, Vegeta mused.

"How many times did I tell you to get lost?" His mirror image growled. "I don't need you hovering around me every damn second."

Vegeta could see a slight flinch from the future Trunks. He would have said or did say those exact same words, too, at least many years ago. Did the boy really annoy him so much? Vegeta looked over to his own son and wondered what Trunks would have been like if he had decided not to stick around. Would Trunks have been the same as the one from the future? Vegeta watched Trunks with a scrutinizing stare. The boy swayed unsteadily, using all his strength just to stay afloat. The boy needed rest.

"We'll talk down there," Vegeta said as he motioned the others to the ground below. Without waiting for them to act, Vegeta moved beside Trunks and said, "Get your ass down there."

"I"m okay, Dad," Trunks shrugged.

"Do I have to tell you twice?" Vegeta growled as he grabbed the boy by the shoulder, purposely avoiding touching the lower arm. He led the boy down. So freaking stubborn, just like his mother.

* * *

><p>Trunks did feel drained and tired, but he thought he was hiding it well, as well as he could given the injuries. Apparently, his dad had noticed. Trunks wondered why he was not healing as quickly as he should, with his half Saiyan bloods and all. Without any energy to fight back, Trunks obediently followed his dad to the ground.<p>

Trunks watched his dad through the corner of his eyes. He came, Trunks thought, hiding a smile beneath his bulging lips. Trunks could definitely tell his dad was in a foul mood. At first sight, Trunks almost feared for his life as his dad glared at him with deadly eyes. Whenever he saw those eyes, his first instinct was to jet as fast as he could. But Trunks was simply too happy to see his dad and could care less if his dad wanted to kill him or not. When his dad had shown concern toward his injuries, Trunks was even more ecstatic. Trunks grinned wider.

"He cares…" Trunks heard a soft whisper, barely audible. It seemed like no one beside Trunks could hear Future Trunks mumbled those words. Trunks glanced over his shoulder to where Future Trunks was. His splitting image trailed behind, gazing at his dad with a mixture of longing and confusion. Trunks did not know the whole story of why Future Trunks had made a visit to the past. He knew a gist of it, like how the androids had destroyed Future Trunks' world. Future Trunks' mission was to save Goten's dad from an illness. Future Trunks had learned how to defeat the androids and Cell in his timeline and as a result saving his own world from destruction. That was all Trunks knew. However, Gohan did tell him that there were no one left in future timeline, only Future Trunks and his mom. Trunks could not imagine a life without his dad, mom, Goten and everyone. Trunks supposed he should be grateful to Future Trunks for saving this timeline.

Trunks turned his head back when he felt his feet hit the ground. Buckling, Trunks tried to regain his balance by shifting his weight to his right leg, but it was suddenly caught in a crevice within the earth. He felt his body falling. Before he could feel himself hitting the ground, Trunks felt a grip around his elbow. Trunks looked up and saw his dad grunted with annoyance. Trunks knew better not to thank his dad while others were around, so he simply nodded and flashed a quick grateful smile. Deep down, Trunks was extremely glad his dad had spared him the embarrassment of falling flat on his face. Once he steadied himself, his dad quickly let him go. Limping to the large boulder a few meters to his right, Trunks carefully sat down, feeling his dad's watchful eyes the whole time. Trunks also felt another pair of eyes studying them.

"Did you two come to annoy me with your weak display of father and son's love?" His other father spat with an even deeper annoyance in his voice. "Are you flaunting it just to spite me!" He was standing on the other side, facing them, with his arms folded. The skins between his eyes were so wrinkled, Trunks could barely see the man's dark eyes.

"Father, I think we should hear what they have to say," Future Trunks said, standing only a couple of feet away from everyone. His eyes continued to fix on this dad and sometime fell back to his younger father as if comparing the two. Trunks could tell his dad was uncomfortable, but to his surprise, his dad did not order Future Trunks to stop staring. If Trunks was the one staring, he bet his life that his dad would start scolding him. Trunks could not help but felt a little jealous. Did his dad want Future Trunks as a son instead? With Future Trunks, at least there was less misbehavior. Maybe his dad wanted a more obedient son, unlike him, who always caused trouble.

His younger father was about to open his mouth and was probably going to say something nasty to Future Trunks again. Before that could happen, Trunks decided this was the best moment to explain what had been happening. "Well, I think I know what's going on," Trunks said and all eyes fell upon him. Trunks swallowed to wet this throat. He was not a shy person and most definitely not a nervous one either. But now, with four eyes glaring at him and two more watching him, Trunks felt bead of sweats dripping from his forehead. The intensity in the air was almost suffocating. Trunks took a quick breath and let it out slowly. He cleared his voice and said, "Well, we did not come from the future using a time machine if that's what you're wondering."

Trunks saw his dad rolled his eyes. _What did he expect me to say? _Trunks wondered how much truth he should tell them. He wondered what would be their reaction if he told him they were not real. _Not real. _Trunks popped up from the boulder and gritted his teeth when another agonizing pain jolted up his thigh. Ignoring it, he looked at his dad and asked, "Dad! How come you're here?"

His dad groaned and said, "What kind of nonsense are you spitting? Did you hit your head too hard?" His dad took one glance at him and said, "Sit your ass down."

"Seriously, why are you here?" Trunks asked again, taking a step back until he felt the boulder behind him. Not fighting his dad this time, he sat down.

Trunks was sure Minat mentioned how they had captured him. If his dad was here, did that mean they had also captured his dad? It was impossible. His dad was too powerful to fall victim to those bastards.

"Look, Trunks. I have no patience for your crazy talk. Just get on with it and tell us what you know," his dad said.

Frustrated, Trunks bit his lips. Could his dad be a fragment of his imagination? "Answer this for me, Dad. How _did_ you get here?"

His dad sighed and finally said, "I followed you through the golden plate."

Trunks could not decide if he should be delighted or troubled. Fortunately for Trunks, he was no longer trapped alone, but unfortunately for his dad, he would be stuck here, wherever here was. Trunks finally decided that having company was far better than being alone. Trunks brightened, grinned and exclaimed, "You are real, Dad!"

His dad rolled his eyes again, "I should have you checked out for brain damage."

During the conversation, Trunks could feel a rising ki and guess that his other father was growing agitated.

Sure enough, his other father spoke up, "I will have you two know that there is a price to pay when you ignore the Saiyan prince! Do not test my patience!"

Trunks heard his dad snickered. Trunks wondered what was going through his dad's mind right now. If he guessed correctly, this memory belonged to his dad's. As soon as Trunks crossed the line to this world, he had already sensed the whirling tormented energy fizzing through the air. He wondered if his dad missed these feelings. Trunks hoped not since he did not want his dad to return to his former self.

With a smirk, his dad turned so he was face to face with his younger father and said, "I didn't realize I sounded so arrogant. I guess it does help to see yourself from another perspective."

"What did you say?" the younger Vegeta hissed. He took a step forward and let go of his folded arms. Trunks could feel his ki rising at a dangerous rate.

"Stop it!"

"Father!"

Trunks and Future Trunks yelled in unison. Future Trunks stepped in front of his father and in attempt to block him, only to be shoved on the ground. He skidded across the pebble earth.

Before Trunks could react, his dad had already disappeared from his side. Trunks looked forward and watched the scene unfolded in slow motion. He saw his dad lifted his arm, fist clenched. He drew his elbow back and then extended the arm, aiming straight at the younger dark-haired Saiyan. The fist connected with wide eyes' face. It only took a mere touch to send his younger father shooting back into the hard wall of the mountain side. Rocks crumpled, rolling down the vertical surface. The next second, the land was deafeningly silent. His younger father was unmoving beneath the debris.

Future Trunks was still on his butts, his eyes widened and his mouth opened as if he was trying to speak but could not find his voice. Trunks was between sitting and standing. He, too, was stun. His dad did that for Future Trunks. He got mad because of Future Trunks. Trunks had never seen his dad this pissed over anyone. Maybe his earlier jealousy was not unfounded. Maybe his dad did prefer the other him. Before long, the pile of rocks exploded and out came the enraged golden-haired Saiyan, breaking the frozen spell.

"I AM GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Because of the length of this chapter, I'm splitting it into two parts. I feel I was sacrificing the details in the second half by trying to keep the chapter short.

It was a struggle to keep the two Vegeta and and two Trunks in character with respect to their own timeline. I hope I managed okay.

Stay tuned for part deux! Please review if you have a second. I really really want to know what you think! Thanks for reading! ^_^


	9. Chapter 8 Into the Past Part 2

**A/N: **Another thanks to Majin Putty for beta-ing this chapter! It was very gracious of her to volunteer her time to help out a stranger. =D

Thanks again everyone for reviewing and reading. =) I'm extremely happy and glad that you are enjoying this fic so far!

* * *

><p><strong>Game of Life<strong>

**Chapter 8 - ****Into the Past **

**Part 2**

* * *

><p>Vegeta did not know what had come over him. His body reacted before he mind could. Before he knew it, he was staring at the wreckage formed by his impulsive attack. Ever since Vegeta had met his past self and the future Trunks, he had tried his best not to interfere. His only purpose had been to retrieve his idiotic son and learn what the hell was going on.<p>

But interfere he did. Seeing his past self shoving Future Trunks had unexpectedly infuriated him. Whilst Future Trunks sat on his behind and stared at his younger self with wounded eyes, Vegeta felt a pang of guilt. He remembered the boy had once looked at him with the same eyes. Deep down, Vegeta knew he had been the biggest jerk to the young lone survivor. He should have been proud. He should have been honored to have a son who had survived the terror of the androids alone with no one to depend on. Vegeta had not been proud or honored. His future son had disgusted and annoyed him. Vegeta thought of the year they had spent in the Room of Spirit and Time. How many times had he laughed in the boy's face, calling the boy weak and useless, when the boy had been neither? Vegeta took a quick glance at Future Trunks. After he had surrendered his pride and arrogance, Vegeta had discovered that he was capable of new feelings, such as guilt and perhaps like the past him said, affections. So seeing the older boy disregarded like a piece of trash, Vegeta reacted. Vegeta supposed his body did what his mind had wanted, giving himself one hell of a beating.

"I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU ALL!" the younger Vegeta roared. His younger self threw him a deadly glare, eyes and cheeks twitching. Vegeta saw his younger self raising and extending one arm, blue light encircling his forearm, mixing in with his golden flame. He spread his palm; the blue light rushed to the center and formed a blue orb. "Big Bang –"

Vegeta welcomed the fight. He had held his frustrations in far too long. Bending his fingers, Vegeta pressed down on his knuckles, creating a crunching sound. He stretched his neck and lifted his head slowly. Vegeta cracked a cold smile.

"—Attack!" His younger self screamed, releasing the energy from his palm. The ball soared through the air, leaving a trail of concentrated energy in its path. Vegeta shot forward, expertly deflecting the oncoming ki energy with a flick of his wrist. The ball swerved, hitting a mountain miles away from where they were. Crouching down, his younger self quickly raised his fist in a defensive stance. Vegeta eyed the protective barrier his younger self had adopted. Vegeta snickered as he reached closer and closer. Already, Vegeta could see the flaw in the defense. Even in his base Saiyan form, Vegeta would have no problem showing his younger who was superior.

With his fists, Vegeta started to pummel the Super Saiyan. His younger self slid backward with every punch he blocked; his feet grinding deep against the rough earth. Vegeta smirked. He knew his younger self was no match for him.

"Dad, I'll help you!" Vegeta heard Trunks shouted from behind.

With a sharp kick to the younger Saiyan's knee, Vegeta caused the man to fall on the ground. Swiftly, Vegeta turned to his son and threw him a warning stare. "You stay out of this!" Shifting his glare to Future Trunks, he ordered, "Watch his ass!" Vegeta did not need a confirmation to know that the older boy would do as he ordered. As expected, Future Trunks moved to where Trunks was sitting and blocked him from any movement. Vegeta could see Trunks growling in response.

Future Trunks turned to Vegeta and flashed him a reassuring smile, silently telling Vegeta he had everything under control. Suddenly, the older boy's eyes widened. His mouth opened and managed two words. "Behind you!"

Before Vegeta could turn around to dodge, he felt a thump near his neck. Vegeta stumbled forward but managed to hold his balance. Vegeta growled. _A fucking cheap shot! _Vegeta was a lot of things; arrogant, ruthless, but dishonorable was definitely not one of them. "You son of a bitch!" Vegeta snarled as he swung his body around and backhanded his slimy self across the land.

"Dad!"

"Father!"

Without waiting for his younger self to crash into the rugged mountainside, Vegeta sped toward the flying man and materialized right in front of him. Vegeta grabbed his leg and spun him around and released him in the opposite direction. "You dare defiled my name with your dishonorable act!" Vegeta roared before the Super Saiyan smashed in the side of the mountain wall.

Vegeta floated to the now visible hole with his arms crossed. Vegeta growled when he saw his idiotic son beside him along with Future Trunks. "I thought I told you to sit your ass down there!"

"But, Dad! I just want to help!"

"Father!" Future Trunks flew toward the hole. Suddenly his future son crossed his arms in front of his face.

"Shit!" Vegeta hastily threw his body in front of Trunks, blocking chunk of giant boulders from crashing onto the boy. Vegeta narrowed his eyes when he turned to Trunks, "If I have to tell you again to stay away, I will personally knock you out myself," Vegeta threatened, meaning every word of it.

Trunks cowered. "Yes, Dad," said his boy, disappointment clearly in his voice. He descended with his shoulder lowered in defeat. It was not as if Vegeta did not think Trunks was not capable of fighting. Had Trunks been injury free, Vegeta would have gladly allowed the boy to join in.

Future Trunks returned, once again standing beside Vegeta. Vegeta noticed the confusions in his eyes as Future Trunks stared at the explosion. It did not go unnoticed that Trunks was glaring at Future Trunks with a scornful look. Vegeta ignored him for now. Nursing the boy's pride would have to come later.

Vegeta heard rocks sliding down the mountain pass. Vegeta glared in the direction of the hole and saw a tint of blue emerge. The golden aura became brighter than before. "I don't care who the fuck you are, future me or not, I will kill you! I AM the only Saiyan prince! I am the greatest in the universe!" his counterpart growled.

"Something's wrong," Vegeta heard Future Trunks say as the older boy creased his brows in concern. Normally, Vegeta would be alerted to the fact something was indeed wrong, but now common sense eluded him. Reason was the last thing in his mind.

"Hear me well, Vegeta of the past. You are NOT the greatest in the universe!" Vegeta spat as he increased his ki. He threw his head back and released all his ki until it exploded into a golden aura, so bright that it dulled the other in comparison. With another scream, the aura expanded, intertwining with white scorching sparks. Vegeta could see his younger self dumbstruck, mouth slightly open.

"You always wonder if you can surpass Super Saiyan. Now you know!" Vegeta flashed forward with speed that even the trained eyes of the younger Super Saiyan could not follow. Vegeta appeared in front of the younger Super Saiyan in a matter of seconds and elbowed him right in the gut. The younger Vegeta doubled over. With two fights clenched tightly together, Vegeta pounded his younger self from behind, sending him straight to Vegeta's waiting knee. When the younger Saiyan looked up, Vegeta gave him a good uppercut from his lower chin, sending him shooting upward in the sky. Vegeta materialized right above the man and once again pounded his back with two fists. This time, the younger Saiyan shot down to the ground, creating a small crater.

Vegeta looked down and saw his younger self on his back. Despite the beating the younger Saiyan received, he was smirking.

Future Trunks glided beside Vegeta and glanced the same direction. "Fa…" Future Trunks began to say, unsure how to address the man beside him. He thought for a moment, hesitated and finally said, "Father." Future Trunks waited for a reaction. Since Vegeta did not reprimand him, Future Trunks deemed it was safe to address the man with the title. "Father, I don't know what's going on here, but he—," Future Trunks furrowed his brows as he stared intensely at the man in the center of the crater, "—would never have fought with such cheap trick," Future Trunks said.

Vegeta gritted his teeth. Nothing was right. Everything was wrong. Ever since the virus had attacked the system, everything was going haywire. "Damn shit is giving me a fucking headache," Vegeta swore as he continued to monitor his younger self.

"Sorry, Father," Future Trunks said, frowning as he shifted his head to the side.

"It's not your fault, Trunks," Vegeta said, sighing. Vegeta had forgotten how timid his future son was. Another bad trait the boy had was that he liked to take blame for things he had not done. Future Trunks could learn a thing or two from his son, Vegeta thought.

Future Trunks blushed. He cleared his voice and said, "I noticed ever since you got here, Father changed. It was subtle in the beginning, but right now, I can definitely see the difference."

"Hmph. I'm fully aware of how I should have acted. This is the past after all," Vegeta snorted and then frowned. He looked down and sure enough, the sudden spike of ki came from his younger self. It was more powerful than he remembered. He should not have possessed this much power during this timeline.

"You grew soft," his counterpart said, smirking, amusement in his eyes. "You should have killed me when you have the chance."

* * *

><p>Trunks watched from below. He chewed on his lips repeatedly to hold in his frustrations. His jealous feeling toward Future Trunks grew with each passing minute. Future Trunks was standing beside his dad, conversing as if he had known his dad his whole life. His dad had chosen Future Trunks over him to fight in battle. <em>This is not fair! <em>

Trunks did not know why his dad was treating him like a kid. He was old enough to fight and had shown his wits in battle when fighting with Buu and that had been four years ago. Trunks was much older now. Sure, he had a few broken bones, but that was no reason for him to sit out.

Trunks glared at Future Trunks. It was all his fault. It was all Future Trunks fault, Trunks repeated. His thought was suddenly interrupted with a spike of ki, powerful enough to match even Super Saiyan 2. This was not right. Trunks raised his head to the sky. His younger father had already left the crater and was now on his way to meet Future Trunks and his dad. His golden aura was now spitting sharp golden sparks that circled around the outskirts of his golden flame. _This is impossible._

Trunks stood as he continued to look up at the sky, not wanting to miss anything. He lifted into the air and searched for an area where he could be out of sight but close enough to be near the action. Not far from his dad, Trunks saw a medium-sized mountain with a small indentation in the stone wall. It was small enough to fit his body. Trunks glanced at the three Saiyans to make sure their attention was not on him.

Cautiously, Trunks maneuvered around the lower plains, keeping himself out of sight. When he reached the mountain, he slowly descended to the area he spotted earlier and carefully moved into the small opening, not wanting to accidentally scrape his wound against the sharp stones.

When he finally situated in a more comfortable position, Trunks stuck his head out. From here, he could make out the conversations.

"Father, how did you…" Trunks heard Future Trunks say, disbelief in his voice.

His younger father laughed in a somewhat higher voice than what Trunks was used to, "I have no idea and frankly, I don't give a shit. This power is incredible!"

Trunks heard his father snort. Trunks stuck his head out some more to see his dad. He was close enough that his dad could see him so Trunks pressed his body against the cool wall.

His dad was standing with his arms folded across his favorite tank top, now stained with a greenish substance. His dad floated in the air, masterfully masking his emotions, but Trunks could feel the confidence exuding from his dad. Trunks grinned. His dad was the strongest in the world after all. Of course, his dad did not fear the fake before him.

"I doubt you can harness this much power," his dad accused while scanning his younger father. Trunks wondered if their presence in his dad's memory had altered the reality, but it was impossible. Then again, this whole situation was impossible yet here they were.

His younger father snarled. Trunks could feel his power rising even more. Lightning zapped through the air. Future Trunks looked astonished, incredulous and even a bit fearful of his younger father. Trunks snorted. His dad was even stronger. This level of power was nothing.

"Do not mock me!"

His dad dropped his head in his hand to cover his face. "This shit is a freaking mess. First I see a past version of myself and now he can turn Super Saiyan 2 before his time," his dad scowled, probably no longer deeming it necessary to hide his emotion, he continued with a deeper scowl. "What's next? Is my freaking daughter going to show up and try to kick my ass too?" his dad vented sarcastically.

"Daughter…?" Trunks heard his future self asked, surprised by the new discovery.

Trunks frowned. This was the first time his dad had ever mentioned his soon to be sister by the title, daughter. He had been referring to his unborn sister as either brat or kid. Another pang of jealousy surfaced. Trunks shook his head. Why did he have such strong feeling all of a sudden? Before he had entered this place, he was a bit uncomfortable with the arrival of his sister, but Trunks had been nowhere close to feeling this jealous and possessive about his dad. Trunks did not feel like himself and he did not like feeling this way. It scared him.

Taking another peek, Trunks saw Future Trunks standing really close to his dad and whispering something in his ear. Seconds later, he saw his future self chuckling as if he was having a good time. Trunks could not see clearly, but he swore he could see his dad grinning as well. Trunks clenched his teeth and gripped his pants tight. _Stop it, Trunks! This is not you! _Despite scolding himself to stop, Trunks continued to feel his anger rising; his ki was also spiking uncontrollably. Right now, he felt like tearing Future Trunks apart…

* * *

><p>"Go easy on him. He is the first father I know," Future Trunks whispered in Vegeta's ear.<p>

Vegeta sighed and nodded. "Trunks, you should stay out of his, too. You are no match for this power hungry, arrogant, self-absorb son of a bitch."

Vegeta heard Future Trunks chuckled. Grinning, his future son said, "I don't know much about you, but are you two not the same person. Aren't you talking about yourself?"

"Shut up, boy, or you'll force me to knock you senseless," Vegeta said with a barely visible grin of his own.

"Are you two done babbling?" the younger Vegeta demanded, the smirk still on his face. Vegeta noticed the newfound confidence in his younger self. He could not blame him. If Vegeta was the one to experience this sudden burst of untamed and potent power, he too would flaunt it.

Future Trunks glanced at the younger Vegeta with almost a solemn look. He stitched his brows slightly and said, "Father, don't do this. I don't want to fight you."

"Get lost, you useless trash. I have no business with you," the younger Vegeta drifted closer until he was only a few feet away. He turned to Vegeta. Eyes narrowed. "Dare to fight me, now that we are equal? Or do you only fight with those weaker than you," his younger self challenged.

"Did you just call me a coward?" Vegeta snarled. This was the last straw. Vegeta was not going to let this one slide. His name was on the line. Vegeta felt his ki rising from his feet and slowly traveling through the network of nerves. Even Future Trunks shied away from the sheer rage Vegeta was emitting.

Vegeta charged forward. He raised his knee to thrust it in the other man's midriff. His younger self blocked it with his forearm and returned the favor with a swift kick to the side of Vegeta's hip.

"Father, both of you, stop it!" Future Trunks appeared beside them with the sword in his hands and his golden hair spiked upward. He was far enough to be outside the line of attack. Vegeta ignored him and continued on with another round of attacks and parries. _Damn, the fake is much stronger than before. _

Vegeta dodged the ki ball with a shift of his head. The ball flew behind him straight at Future Trunks. Vegeta cursed and then relaxed when Future Trunks deflected it with his sword. "I'm okay," Future Trunks assured, holding his weapon in front of him defensively.

"Be careful. He was much stronger than before," Vegeta warned.

"Yes, Father. I'll be careful," his future son said, head cocking slightly, wonderment in his eyes. Of course, his future son was probably wondering what had come over him to show even an ounce of concern. Truth to be told, Vegeta thought he, too, had become more sentimental than usual as more time elapsed in this place. He did not understand why.

Vegeta shrugged the thought away and he threw his head back at his younger self, ki ready to dispense. Future Trunks crouched in a fighting stance with his eyes focused intensely on the enemy ahead. It seemed Future Trunks had already decided on which side to take, Vegeta thought with a smirk. It had been a while since Vegeta stood side by side with his future son. Even if the boy was much less powerful than Vegeta and his past self, Vegeta was sure Future Trunks could hold his own and smart enough to stay away when the battle became too heated. So Vegeta did not shoo the boy away.

"Father. I don't know which timeline you came from, but I'm happy to know that at least one timeline out there, one version of me has what I never had," Vegeta heard his future son said. Instead of discounting the boy's statement, Vegeta stayed silent and focused on his maniac counterpart.

"Get ready, Trunks," Vegeta ordered as he saw flicker of movement not far from him, following by a trailing cackle.

* * *

><p>Raw uncontrollable rage filled his body and for reason he could not understand. After witnessing his dad's concern look for Future Trunks, Trunks was even more pissed. He could feel his fine hair solidifying, but fell back to normal when he tried his best to suppress the startling rage. He had never left like this before. Sure, he had been angry or mad for little or no reasons, but never pissed to the point he wanted to hurt someone.<p>

Trunks bit his lips hard, almost drawing bloods from the action. Trunks passed another glimpse at his future counterpart with a sword in his hand, ready to assist his dad in battle.

_That should me! _

Once that thought entered his mind, Trunks felt his hair gravitated upward and his ki running up and down his veins. It would have been easier if Trunks just let go and allowed the anger to consume him, but he knew deep down, this feeling was wrong.

Trunks tore his eyes away from the battle. He tried to shut off the conversations between his dad and Future Trunks by covering his ears, but to no avail. He could still hear the words.

_Be careful._

There was too much concern in his dad's voice. His dad would never show any concern to anyone in public. His dad was uncharacteristically nice. Was that even his dad?

_Get ready, Trunks._

That was it. Trunks exploded. His mouth pulled back in a snarl. He stepped out on the ledge, not caring if his dad could see him. The rocks around him levitated from the sheer power Trunks was emitting. His injuries forgotten. His dad called his future counterpart with his name and that was unforgiveable. Trunks would not forgive Future Trunks for stealing his dad away from him.

Trunks connected his palms by the base and spread his fingers apart. Trunks searched for Future Trunks, who was now floating in midair. Trunks snorted. Future Trunks was just watching the fight from afar. Had it been Trunks, he would have been engaged in the battle already. All these talks about how great his future self had been was all bullshit.

Trunks slowly moved his connected palm to the right until he could see Future Trunks in the center of his parted fingers. Trunks aimed and cried out, "Get the hell away from my dad!"

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><p>Vegeta was surprised his counterpart could turn Super Saiyan 2 without any efforts. Vegeta should have asked Trunks what exactly was this place. Vegeta already rejected the idea of time traveling. Vegeta parried the swinging fists with less ease than before, but Vegeta had years of experiences compared to his counterpart. Even with the sudden surge of power from his younger self, Vegeta would have no trouble.<p>

So engrossed in the fight, Vegeta did not notice another climbing ki not far from where he was. Vegeta turned and saw Trunks standing by the ledge in his Super Saiyan form, golden flame enveloped his small frame. _What the? _With his thought distracted, Vegeta did not see the elbow aiming for his face. Suddenly, he felt his body shooting across the air.

"Father!" Vegeta heard his future son cried out, ready to move his direction. Vegeta brought himself up to an abrupt halt. Wiping bloods from his mouth, Vegeta spit and cursed. He saw Trunks with palms outstretched, ready to dispense one of Vegeta's signature move. The boy was not aiming for the younger Vegeta. Trunks' line of attack was going straight for Future Trunks. Future Trunks was completely oblivious to the danger behind him when the older boy's focus was on the both of them. _Shit! _Vegeta was about to warn Future Trunks but stopped when he heard the younger Vegeta's remark.

"I see you care deeply for your brats," the younger Vegeta said snidely, the corner of his lips curled, "I wonder how you're going to feel when I help you dispose one of them." Vegeta saw his counterpart raised one hand and channeled mass amount of energy into one palm. His target was not Vegeta but the boy standing by the mountain ledge.

_This is just what I fucking need! _Vegeta was now in the center of a imaginary triangle. Future Trunks to his left and his counterpart to his right with Trunks right in front of him.

"Get the hell away from my dad!" Trunks released massive energy that could easily blow up the earth. Vegeta saw Future Trunks froze as he saw the bright light shooting straight at him with lightning speed.

_Oh hell no! _

At the same time, another concentrated energy shot pass Vegeta's left side, flying straight toward his unaware, foolish son. Vegeta's attention switched between his future and his own son.

_Shit! Damn it! Damn it! What the fuck did I do to deserve this! _

Vegeta only had a few seconds to react. Faced with two possible devastating scenarios, Vegeta was indecisive on what to do next. Cursing, Vegeta screamed out a warning to both Trunks but neither moved. One was too stunned and the other too concentrated on his target. Vegeta dashed to Trunks with all the speed his could muster. When Vegeta felt the energy singeing pass him, he let out a frustrated growl and turned around to shoot a ki ball of his own in attempt to divert the bright massive energy aiming for Future Trunks. He did not confirm if his interference had saved the older boy. Right now, his attention was fully on his damn son.

The split second he used to save Future Trunks had caused Vegeta greatly. Vegeta damn well knew his ki alone would not be able to change the course of the energy formed by someone in the Super Saiyan 2 form. Vegeta had hoped he could reach Trunks in time to at least push the boy out of the way, but he could not make it on time.

Vegeta increased his speed and only managed to match the velocity of the shooting meteor-sized ball. Vegeta saw Trunks' eyes widened in realization and his mouth formed a silent, but powerful, 'NO!'.

A thundering cackle overpowered the land and a roaring scream soon followed. Vegeta drowned out all the noise and summoned his ki one last time.

"No, DAD!"

"Move!" Vegeta managed one word before putting himself between the powerful ki and his son, barely with enough time to block it with his bare hands. He quickly extended both arms, only to find his skin fading in and out and becoming translucent.

"Shit!" Vegeta screamed, feeling the raw energy scorching his palms and parts of his body. He felt Trunks was still behind him. _Damn boy! Why won't he listen and move the fuck out the way! _That was his last thought before the world faded_. Damn it_!_  
><em>

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><p><strong>AN:** A little dramatic? Yes surey! Vegeta and Trunks OOC? Damn right! Well, I hope not too much. =P

Credit time! I would like to thank 'ansam' for the brilliant idea of Vegeta being controlled and evil. Although I didn't quite go that route, but the statement had sparked some pretty nifty idea and changed the direction of the fic! All your comments really do make a difference! So feel free to tell me what you like or don't like, especially the fight scenes since there will be more of it in future chapters. ^_^

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	10. Chapter 9 The Shocking Return

**Game of Life**

**Chapter 9 – The Shocking Return**

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><p><strong>AN: **Once again, thanks goes to Majin Putty for beta-ing this chapter!

As always, thanks to all the reviewers and readers!

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><p>Using her thumbs and forefingers, Bulma pried her eyes open and shook her heavy head. The blinking cursor on her screen remained on the line of code she last read. Two hours and still no progress, Bulma thought in frustration. She needed her mainframe computer. The processing speed of this inadequate laptop was painfully slow and she had not even begun to chip through the first layer of modules. Her computer mascot had left her to pour through thousands of intricate data by all herself. She could really use its help right about now, Bulma growled. She should not have sent the little critter to gather more information. Now that she thought of it, the little critter had been gone for an insane amount of time. Bulma sighed.<p>

Feeling the need to rest her overloaded brain, Bulma relaxed her chin on the downward arch of her interlaced fingers. She looked at her sleeping husband. Vegeta had his head tilted back against the shelf, his nose in the air. Bulma could almost see the heavy breath leaving his slightly parted lips. Beneath the dirty light blanket, Bulma saw the rise and fall of his chest. Tough guy complained he was not tired, Bulma snickered. And she was the stubborn one, she thought, rolling of her eyes

Bulma's ear perked when she caught Vegeta calling out Trunks' name. Her Saiyan prince had been slumbering restlessly, moaning and groaning at every turn of the minute. It was not uncommon for Vegeta to have nightmares. She had seen him acting this way in the depth of the nights, but never had Bulma heard Vegeta muttering Trunks' name in his dreams. Hell, she had never heard him calling her name either. What could Vegeta be dreaming about? Bulma wondered. His voice became more vocal and curses started to fly out of the Saiyan's mouth. His body started to thrash against the metal shelf. It was clear to Bulma that it was time for Vegeta to wake up.

Bulma dropped her fingers and pushed the chair back. With her hands supporting her lower back, she got up. Once standing, Bulma could feel blood rushing up her swollen feet. She reached down to massage her thigh, relieving some of the soreness and tension built from hours of sitting. When she felt sensations returning to her leg, she made her way across the dim room, walking like an unattractive maimed duck. When she reached Vegeta, Bulma slowly bent down and kneeled on the floor.

"Vegeta. Time to wake up," Bulma nudged her prince by the shoulder. Vegeta responded by smacking her hand away and mumbling more incoherent words. Bulma tried again with a little more force. This time, Vegeta dropped silent, his eyelids glued tightly together with ripples forming on his forehead. Bulma grew concern. Vegeta had always been a light sleeper, so light that even a cockroach running across the room could stir the dark prince. Suddenly, panic seized Bulma. She thought of her baby boy who was still in the hospital. What if Vegeta met the same fate as Trunks? This could not happen, Bulma thought as she started to tremble. "Vegeta! Wake up!" Bulma pleaded, desperate to rouse Vegeta from his deep, troubled sleep. Bulma willed herself to calm, knowing that flustering would not help with situation. If pleading would not work, then she must try another tactic. Bulma leaned over so that she was only inches away from Vegeta's ear. Pulling on the ear lobe, Bulma screamed on the top of her lungs. "Vegeta, if you don't wake up right now, I WILL smack you!"

"Move!" Vegeta roared, eyes still closed. He swung his arm in the air, knocking the unexpected Bulma back.

"Oh, shit!" Bulma yelled out as her butt dropped on the floor; her tail bone crashed against the wooden floor. She managed to not completely fall backwards by swiftly propping her hands on the floor. Bulma yelped as an excruciating pain shot up her spine. She gritted her teeth until she could feel the roots of her teeth digging deeply into her gums. Bulma waited until the stars dispersed and moved one hand to her lower back and the other onto her stomach. Her heart thumped. An accident like this could affect the baby. Bulma breathed in slowly, feeling another sharp pain. Her heart thumped again. She slowly pressed her finger against her belly to inspect any sign of irregularity. Her lower back still throbbed, but her baby girl was still well moving within her. When she felt confident that her baby was safe, she let out a sigh of relief. Bulma rubbed her lower back to alleviate the remaining soreness. She really should be more careful around thrashing Saiyans, she thought.

Using one hand, she pressed against the floor to push herself clumsily back onto her knees. Once her eyes fell upon Vegeta, she gasped. It had been less than a few minutes since she had last saw Vegeta, but the physical change in her husband was beyond shocking. His arms and body were now charred with burned skin hanging off his raw flesh. "Vegeta!" she screamed, her pain forgotten. She reached over and cupped his hands into hers, feeling the blister in her touch. She winced and wondered what hell had happened to her husband in such a short time.

Vegeta snapped his eyes open, looking at her, bewildered. Bulma could see he was not seeing her, his mind was elsewhere. Bulma fanned her hand in front of him in attempt to extract a reaction, any reaction from Vegeta. "Vegeta! Talk to me!" She slapped both of his cheeks and pulled his face toward her.

Vegeta blinked. His dark eyes cleared of their cloudiness. "Bulma?"

"Vegeta! You're finally awake!" Bulma exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Vegeta's neck and burying her face on his shoulder. "Don't scare me like that, you asshole!"

"Where am I?" Vegeta asked, pushing Bulma away. Bulma released him and sat her ass on her feet. He got up, using the rack on the shelf as a support. Bulma saw him swaying a little when he released his hand. She did not know if it was from the mysterious injury or if he was just disorientated from re-entering reality. She wanted to help him but had decided against it. Vegeta would be too proud to accept any help. Bulma watched silently, monitoring his husband every movement.

"We're in the lab, remember?" Bulma finally answered when Vegeta was steady on his feet. Using the floor as a support, Bulma pushed herself from a kneeling to a standing position. Suddenly, she felt a kick in her stomach. She winced but quickly swallowed the pain before Vegeta could catch a glimpse at her. Vegeta had enough to worry about. The last thing Bulma wanted was Vegeta worrying about her too. Bulma had purposely neglected to tell Vegeta about her current condition since he could not help her anyways. His energy was better spent on the upcoming fight. Bulma realized that if Vegeta did find out, he would be furious that she had kept this secret from him, but she could worry about that when the time came.

Bulma walked over to Vegeta and said with concern, "Vegeta, look at you. Your skin looks like it's been scorched." She lifted one of his arms so he could see what she was talking about.

Using his fingers, Vegeta traced the raw flesh from his shoulder down to his forearm, brows stitching as he did so. "It was not a dream…" As if a realization suddenly struck him, Vegeta swore. He growled and then demanded, "Call Gohan. Ask him to check on Trunks, now!"

The urgency in his voice and the mention of Trunks' name was all Bulma needed to spring into action. She did not question him, knowing Vegeta had good reason to demand such a request. Bulma ran to the phone on the other side of the room, all the while thinking something awful must have happened to her baby boy. Filled with worry and unease, Bulma picked up the phone. Vegeta was behind, breathing down her neck. Her hands shaking as she punched the numbers. Because of her trembling fingers, she missed the intended number. "Shit!"

"Don't you have their numbers on speed dial?" Vegeta scowled. The frustration in his voice only added to her anxiety. _Something is definitely wrong. _

"Dammit, Vegeta!" Bulma felt like crying. It seemed she could not form a coherent thought, much less remember something as trivial as a freaking speed dial. "What's wrong with Trunks?" she demanded as she punched the number four.

"Just call Gohan!"

Bulma finally got a ringtone. It rang once and again and again, but no one picked up. "Pick up the damn phone, Gohan!"

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><p>Goten felt warmth creeping up the side of his face. He stirred and fluttered his eyes. His thoughts fogged from the fleeting details of his hazy dreams. <em>Where am I? <em>Goten fluttered his eyes some more. All he could make out through his blurred vision was sea of whiteness. The smell was unfamiliar to him. It reeked of acidity. He wrinkled his nose. Before he could fully awaken, he heard someone arguing behind him.

"No is NO! I'm not letting you take the boys!"

"But Chi Chi, nothing will happen. I'll be there with them."

"It's because you're going to be there, I don't trust!"

"Mom, that's harsh…Dad had always protected us."

"No, No, No. I'm not going to let what happened to Trunks happen to you, too!"

At the mention of Trunks' name, Goten shot up with full alertness. He felt a blanket slipped from his back onto the floor. Goten's head twisted to the right and found his friend still unconscious, tossing and turning while he clutched tightly to the blanket. Goten heard Trunks whimpering for his dad a few times. It seemed as though Trunks' nightmare had grown since last night. Goten placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and whispered, "Vegeta will be here soon, Trunks." Goten could not tell if it his voice or Vegeta's name that finally calmed his best friend. Goten saw Trunks loosened his grip on the white sheet, but Goten could tell Trunks was still plagued with dark dreams.

"Nothing will happen to us, Mom. I made a promise to Videl and I'm planning to keep it."

"So you make a promise to Videl, huh? What about your poor mom, Gohan? Ever thought about making a promise to me?"

"Chi Chi, I'll make a promise to you."

"Shut up, Goku! How many promises did you break?"

Goten turned around. Right outside the doorway in the hall, he saw his whole family standing in a loose circle. His mom stood with her hand on her hip . His dad stood on her left one side with and Gohan on the right. Videl stood next to his brother with her arms locked tightly around his. Goten couldn't help but smiled. It was not until after Gohan and Videl had been married that Goten had started to see glimpses of touchiness from the two. When they had been dating, Goten would often find them miles apart. Any little touching had caused his brother and now sister-in-law to flame into crimson fire. Torturing the two lovebirds had been one of the most comical past time for Goten and Trunks. Goten frowned at the memories. Goten wished everything could go back to normal like how it was before they ventured into the room.

Goten took a quick glance out the window. From between the curtains, he was shocked to find the sun was already high in the mid sky.

"What happened, Chi Chi? You weren't like this when we fought Buu. You were supportive and you know…not so unreasonable," Goten heard his dad said with a hint of confusion in his voice. Goten stepped away from the bed. Giving his friend one last glance, he dragged his feet toward the hallway to join his family.

"You're calling me unreasonable?"

"Chi Chi, I'm sure Goku didn't mean it that way…"

Goten sighed when he finally made it to the door. His family, especially his mom, was always so rowdy. On most days, he would find the one-sided quarrel between his parents entertaining. Today, he was too worried for Trunks to find any amusements in his dad's discomfort.

Down the hall, Goten could see doctors and nurses shooting them annoyed glares. Goten bowed slightly and shot them an apologetic smile. Goten took a step toward his mom who did not notice him standing behind her. Pulling on the fabric of her red traditional dress, he said in a low whisper, "I think you guys are too loud."

"Oh, Goten!" His mom cried, instantly dropping her argument with his dad and Gohan. She pushed his dad out of the way. Crouching down, his mom swung her arms around his shoulder, nearly knocking all the air from him.

"Mom…" Goten gasped as he tried to find his breath.

"Mom, you're choking him," Gohan said, walking toward them with Videl by his side.

His mom extended her arms, leaving space between them, but her hands remained firmly on him. "Goten, are you hurt?" his mom asked, frantically. One of her hand moved to his head, pushing back his stubborn dark hair and searched wildly for any injuries.

Embarrassed by his mom's public display of affection, Goten felt heat rising to his cheek. "Mom, I'm okay…!" he said, his voice almost coming out as a whine. His mom had always treated him like a baby no matter how old he was. Heck, she still treated Gohan as if he was still in diapers. At this thought, Goten suddenly did not feel as silly and pampered.

It seemed that his brother finally realized they were in the center of attention with all the displeased hospital staff. Some were whispering among each other while pointing at them. Clearing his throat, Gohan said uncomfortably, "We should go back in the room, Mom," Gohan put one arm around Videl's shoulder, guiding her into the room. "Let's go, Videl."

His dad followed Gohan and Videl, slapping him on the back as he passed. "Hey buddy. Glad you're finally awake," his dad said smiling down at him. Goten looked up and flashed him a weak smile. At the corner of his eyes, Goten saw his mom giving his dad her famous get lost glare. His dad shrugged and walked into the room with one hand rubbing his tummy. Though his dad did not say it out loud, Goten had a feeling his dad's thought was filled with his next meal as if the argument with his mom had never happened. No one except his dad could recover from a verbal fight with his mom so quickly. Goten thought with a genuine smile.

Goten had lived with his dad for the last four years, learning about the stranger when everyone else had known his dad their entire life. Much to Goten's joy, his dad was everything he had imagine the man to be. He was kind, fun, strong and many other great things. Goten was glad his dad was around now. His carefree attitude had always made impossible situation possible, which was exactly the type of assurance Goten needed now.

Goten felt his mom's hand on his back, pushing him forward. Goten allowed his mom to lead him in. Inside the room, his dad was already sitting on the floor cross-legged. His mom said, "I can't believe Bulma. With all the brain in her thick head, I swear she was smart enough not to build that whatever room. She should know better not the encourage you crazy people into more fighting. Look what she did now!" His mom glared at his dad as if it was his fault that Bulma had built the machine.

As usual, his dad tried to avoid any confrontation, only responding with a nervous laugh.

Gohan moved in front of his mom, clearly blocking his mom's spiteful glare directing at his dad. For the first time, Goten noticed Gohan was not wearing his glasses. Even though it did not look like it, Goten could see weariness hanging over his brother. Goten looked around the room and saw a messy couch covered with a thin blanket and a pair of thick framed glasses lying on the stand. It appeared his brother, too, had slept here through the night, if he even slept at all.

Goten took this opportunity to loosen his mom's grip on him. Goten also wanted to defend his dad just like Gohan, but knew he was not the assertive type and when all the adults talked, Goten found himself left out of the conversations, especially a serious one. Without Trunks, his partner in crime by his side, it was even harder to utter a single word.

"Mom, this was no one's fault. Bulma has a lot on her mind with Trunks already in this condition. Right now, I think she needs our support instead of our blaming," Gohan said in a soft but unyielding voice. Maybe it was from his education. Maybe it was because Gohan was much older, but whatever it was, Goten could not help but admired the way his brother was handling this whole mess. Goten remembered last night when everyone left the room, his brother gave him a prep talk. It did not relieve Goten from his guilt, but it sure did make him feel a little better. Gohan was right. What done was done. Drowning in misery served no purpose. It could not change the past. What Goten should concentrate on was to fix the problem. Only by doing so could he change the future.

"Gohan's right, Chi Chi. I've never seen Bulma so stressed," Videl chimed in.

His mom turned to his dad, then to Gohan and finally to Videl. She was silent for a while and suddenly dropped to the ground. She buried her head in one arm and pounded the tiled floor with the other. Bursting into a hysterical rant, she screamed in a muffled voice, "Bulma is the nice one. I'm the mean witch! You guys think that, don't you? Even you, Videl! You'll soon find out that it's not easy to be a wife and mother to these Saiyans! They come and leave when they want. They die when they want. They fight when they want. When did they ever think of me!"

Goten could feel the air of guilt thickening in the now quiet room. He, too, felt remorse for what he put his mom through. This would never happen had he stopped Trunks from venturing in the forbidden room. Goten shook his head and willed himself to stop feeling responsible.

He saw his dad got up from the floor and moved to where his mom was, crouched down and ran his hand up and down her back, soothing her. "Chi Chi, I'm sorry. I promise this is the last time," his dad said. Even as young as he was, Goten knew his dad just made an empty promise. He knew that there would always be another enemy to fight, to defeat and to destroy. Goten could sense his mom knew this as well.

Goten wanted to say he was sorry. He wanted to apologize for making his mom angry and worry, but the next thing that came out his mouth surprised even him. "Mom, I have to do this. Trunks needs my help. I'm his best friend and if I don't fight, I will be disloyal and a coward," Goten paused and swallowed, waiting for another outburst from his mom. It never came. Instead, he felt a hand on his head. Goten looked up and saw Gohan beaming down at him, full of pride. Goten returned with a weak smile.

His mom finally lifted her head and let out a defeated sigh. His dad assisted her up to a stand and said, "Are you okay, Chi Chi?"

Ignoring his dad, his mom said, "I can never win. I thought Videl was on my side –" Goten could see Videl's eyes dropped to her feet, unsure of how to react. "Thought she could help me stop all of you from fighting, but I see I was wrong. Can't say I didn't try though." His mom swiped a strand of dark hair her face.

Everyone's mouth hanged open, including Goten. It was Gohan who finally voiced all their suspicion. "Mom, was that all an act?"

"I was just exaggerating a little there so I can drill it in all your thick heads that whatever you do, don't get yourself kill," his mom explained as she walked away from his still stunned unmoving dad. His mom made it over to Trunks' bed, sat on the edge and said, "Trunks is like another one of my own. Do you think I'm so heartless I won't let you save him? Even I can see the boy is suffering from whatever he is dreaming about." His mom threw a quick glare at Gohan and Videl. "But I still don't like the fact you're taking Bulma side instead of mine!"

"I will never ever take Bulma's side again," Gohan chuckled, lifting his hands in surrender.

"You better remember what you just said, Gohan," his mom returned a small chuckle.

Goten felt moisture forming from his eyes. He had never felt so much love for his mom. All the horror stories everyone told him about his mom being mean, loud, unreasonable was all untrue. To him, she was the world's coolest and best mom. Before Goten could run to his mom and give her the biggest hug and tell her he loved her much much more than Bulma, the phone rang.

Goten stopped and watched Gohan and Videl searching their pockets for their phone. His mom and dad didn't move since neither of them had a phone. They were not fond of using technology even if it was a more convenient tool for communication. Goten could go as far as calling his parents old-fashioned and outdated.

From the corner of his eyes, Goten saw a slight stirring beneath the blanket and thought Trunks was having another nightmare. He saw his mom soothed his friend with a light hum while keeping her eyes locked on the current activity.

"Gohan, I think it's your phone," Videl said, looking around.

"I know, but I don't know where I put it," Gohan said, patting down his loose pants.

Videl started to march over to the couch where the sound of ringing was muted beneath the crack, but stopped abruptly when a surprised scream escaped from his mom. "Trunks!"

With the phone forgotten, everyone rushed to crowd around the bed, all eyes staring at his disheveled friend who was now sitting upright. Goten was so exciting that he jumped on the empty area of the bed and echoed his mom's cry. "Trunks! You're awake!" Instead of getting a welcomed response, Goten was met with a sideward glance. Trunks stared back at him with complete confusion. He finally uttered his first word. "Gohan? How?"

Goten's jaw dropped. He pointed at himself and asked, "Gohan?"

"I'm going to get the doctor. I think something's wrong with his head. You think it's amnesia?" his mom said as she started out the door.

In the background, the undying ring of the phone continued. "I'll get it," Videl said as she moved once again to the couch. Goten heard her muttered a few words while trailing further away. "What am I going to tell Bulma?"

Trunks looked over Goten's shoulder to stare at Videl as if wondering who she was. His dad stepped closer to the bed and asked his confused friend, "Trunks, remember who I am?"

Trunks blinked, waited and finally nodded, "You're Goku."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good, buddy," said his dad as he patted Trunks on the back. His dad turned to all of them. "Just give him a few more minutes. I'm sure his mind still in dreamland."

"Dad, there's something call selective amnesia. Just in case, we should get the doctor to check him out," Gohan said as he studied Trunks with a concerned look.

Trunks looked at Gohan and then Goku with a shock expression. "Dad?" Trunks asked as if confirming that he had heard correctly.

Gohan nodded in affirmation and his frown deepened. "Yes, Trunks. I'm Gohan."

Goten leaned over so now face to face with Trunks. "I'm Goten. Do you remember who I am?"

Trunks' eyes widened as if he just came to a conclusion. "This could not be happening," Trunks muttered as he covered his eyes with his hand and shook his head. Xlowly, Trunks lifted his head and looked directly at his dad. "Goku, I'm not Trunks. At least not the one you think. I'm the one from the future."

In the background, Goten could hear the phone dropped and bounced a few times. On the other end, he could hear a distant frantic voice demanding to know what the hell was happening.

"Who's going to break the news to Bulma?" Goten heard Videl asked.

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><p><strong>AN:**Thanks for reading! See you next chapter!


	11. Chapter 10 Plans in Motion

**A/N: **Thank you Majin Putty, aystar85, ansam, Kayden, GCTIGERFAN1, elleelle, johncorn, Mistywaterdrop, MysticGohan87, pannybaby123, sheenasalam for all your reviews! You guys are the reasons I pushed through the writer's block and continued to write chapters after chapters! And to all the anonymous readers! Thank you!

**Game of Life**

**Chapter 10 – Plans in Motion**

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><p>Piccolo stood near the edge of the great white platform with his arms folded across his chest. With his eyes shut, he concentrated on the activities in the world below. He had chosen to return to the Lookout to consult with Dende of any possible dangers these new foes might pose. So far, the inhabitant of Earth went about their life with no indications of foul play from the mysterious intruders.<p>

Still, Piccolo could not shake off the feeling of foreboding. It was too quiet. It was so quiet that Piccolo was beginning to wonder if there was an enemy at all; if there was indeed a threat looming in the shadows. The lack of advances from the enemy concerned him. Perhaps, it was as Gohan had said. The intruders had been keeping them at bay until they could carry out their plans. The idea was not farfetched and the more Piccolo gave it thoughts, the more apparent that the foes were stalling for time. As for why, Piccolo had a feeling the truth would be unveiled soon enough.

"Piccolo, something is happening in Metro West near the Capsule Corporation," Dende said.

Piccolo opened his eyes to find the younger Namek-jins pointing west. Dende was looking down with his gaze fixed upon the hidden cities beneath the dense clouds. Piccolo did not sense any abnormal ki signatures and he had been monitoring very closely. Humoring the young guardian of Earth, Piccolo concentrated on the area surrounding Vegeta's and Bulma's residence, and again, he sensed nothing. "Dende, what exactly am I looking for?" Piccolo asked, sliding his eyes to the right, stealing a glance at Dende's reaction.

"I don't know, but I feel agitations from the people in that city," Dende said as he tipped further over the edge, using Kami's cane as the support for balance. "I mean, it's not fear or terror. It's almost like they're angry for some reason."

Piccolo snorted. "Humans are always angry. That's not unusual."

Dende straightened his body and turned to face Piccolo. "True, but the ill-feeling came all at once. That _is_ unusual. And the foul mood is expanding, spreading across the city."

Piccolo became thoughtful. Dende had been a guardian for a long time and his intuitions were often accurate when it came to the people of Earth, so Piccolo had no reason to doubt the young Namek-jins. Piccolo stepped closer to the edge and once again closed his eyes to concentrate. This time, he felt it. The disarray of emotions ran high, some filled with mild annoyance, others with outright infuriation. "This is indeed unusual." Piccolo returned his attention on Dende, who was now standing beside him. "What do you think is the cause of this?"

Dende shook his head. "It's hard to tell, but if I have to guess, there is one commonality among those who are angered."

Piccolo raised one brow and asked, "And that is?"

Dende shrugged and stayed quiet for a moment as if he was unsure of his conclusion. With hesitation, he said, "I can't guarantee this is the reason, but I think the sudden wave of computer's malfunctioning could be the cause. Humans are very dependent on these modern day conveniences, so the inability to use those can very well lead to frustration."

The earlier feeling of foreboding intensified. This was not a coincidence. This was clearly connected to the events as of late. Piccolo berated himself for neglecting these tiny details. He was so focused on ki's activities that he had overlooked other possibilities. Piccolo mentally roamed the city below. It was subtle so Piccolo had to search with scrutiny to find the phenomenon Dende was referring to. His mind stopped at the city's main shopping area. Lines of angry humans with their machines were forming in front of buildings with names such as Softron, Electronic, Tech and other similar technical words. On normal days, Piccolo would dismissed the images he was witnessed as some typical occurrences, but now he suspected ill-intent was at play, especially when the enemies came from a room programmed by Bulma.

"This is trouble. I must warn them of this new development," Piccolo said as he readied himself to take off. Before jumping off the platform, he turned to Dende. "I suspect this will grow as time pass and we cannot monitor this closely from below. I trust you will inform me of any new progress."

Dende nodded. "Piccolo, you should stop by Korin's place to get some senzu beans. I heard he grew a new batch."

"That's a good idea. I'm sure we can use some."

* * *

><p>Trunks removed his palm covering his face and stared dazedly at all the unfamiliar faces. Goku was really the only one he recognized and Trunks took comfort in this small fact. He looked to right and then to his left. All he saw was a white sterile room, a heart monitor, blood pressure machine and many other contraptions that were telltale signs he was in a hospital room. He was no longer in the past of his original destination. That much he knew and he also guessed he did not arrive to this place through time traveling. This was different for he was now occupying the smaller body of his counterpart.<p>

With that thought, Trunks unconsciously flexed his arms and was painfully aware that they were shorter than his own. He wiggled his toes and stretched those upward so he could see the bumps beneath the cover. His legs had definitely shrunk as well.

Trunks was baffled. He wondered if he was dreaming. He remembered his quest had been to defeat the androids and the ever evasive Cell. He and his father had been training, or at least he had attempted to train with his father, and then out of nowhere his other father and his past self showed up. The last memory he had was a bright beam shooting straight at him and not long after he had awakened in this room. Had it not been for his prior encounter with his past self and his father, Trunks would have not known he had swapped place with the owner of this body. Swapped place was not probably the right words, but how else would he explain this bizarre incident?

Trunks looked up when he heard shuffling across the room. It was the older version of Gohan. He strolled next to Goku, standing at almost the same height as the older Saiyan. With a serious look, Gohan said as he looked down at him, "Trunks, you have some explaining to do, but before you do, let me give Vegeta a call."

"Father?" Trunks stitched his eyes in confusion. He clearly remembered the fight between two versions of his father. Could the father who came with his younger self belong to this timeline? Despite his dilemma, Trunks was intrigued. The Vegeta who might have come from this timeline was a different man, far different than the father he met in the original past. Trunks noted a hidden softer and perhaps caring side of this Vegeta.

Gohan nodded. "They've been calling and knowing Vegeta and Bulma, they're probably ready to blow up their own house," Gohan said with a light chuckle as he walked to the other side of the room where a young woman was waiting with a phone in her hand. The young woman placed it in Gohan's hand. Gohan nodded, flashed her a timid smile and said, "Thanks, Videl." Trunks could see a subtle tenderness when Gohan looked at this woman, causing Trunks to wonder the relationship between the two. Gohan shifted the phone and took a deep breath.

Trunks followed Gohan's movement, gazing at him in wonder, comparing him to his mentor of the future timeline. This Gohan was wearing a light brown button sweater vest and a pair of dark pants, an outfit that was much too old for someone obviously in his twenties. His mentor…his mentor…Gohan…Trunks shook his head. _How come I don't remember how Gohan looked like? _Trunks closed his eyes and searched his memories, summoning an image of the deceased Gohan, but his mind remained blank. This could not be happening…Gohan had saved his life. How could he forget what Gohan looked like?

"Gohan, why don't I teleport there and bring them back. I think it's better to break the news to them in person," Goku said with his fingers touching his forehead.

Gohan shook his head. "I don't know what's going on here, but I think our intruders are starting to make their moves." Gohan glanced at Trunks. "Once the doctor examines Trunks, we should regroup at Bulma's house. It is time we pay our game masters a little visit."

Goku brightened. "I guess you're right! I'm getting a little bored from all the waiting!" Goku said, lifting one of his arms above his head and then angled to one side, stretching his body until he was perpendicular to the floor. "What do you think, Gohan? You think we're going to get a challenge?" Goku exclaimed with a little too much excitement, earning a dagger glare from a woman who just walked into the room. Future Trunks frowned. He did not recognize her, but he had a feeling he should.

"Goku, I swear, if you continue to corrupt our kids, I'll make sure you will not eat for months," the woman with the dark-haired said, fixing her eyes on Goku. From her words, Trunks automatically assumed that she was Goku's wife. He felt perplexed. Chi Chi was alive in his own timeline. How could he not recognize her? He also stayed in the past with Goku and the rest of the warriors, assisting them in the fight with the androids. Surely he had run into her. Now, he wondered if his visit to the past had really happened. What about his timeline?

"Aww…Chi Chi…you know…

Trunks did not hear the rest of the conversations. He dropped his face in his palm, squeezing his forehead and began to think hard. The more he tried, the more his memories slipped away from him. This was not making any sense. He knew who he was. He knew his mission was to help the past defeat the androids. He knew he had been training with his father from the past so they could beat the androids. He knew Cell was rampaging cities to cities, absorbing human to gain power. Trunks knew all these, but yet, he could not call upon any images, let alone the details. _What's going on?_

"Are you okay, Trunks?"

Trunks lifted his head up to find two dark eyes staring at him with concern. The boy, who he thought was Gohan, was on all fours; his face only inches away. The boy displayed the most excitement when Trunks first woke up in this world and he had a feeling that the relationship between his counterpart and this young dark-haired boy was close, perhaps even best friends. It was apparent that the boy felt a great disappointment when he found out Trunks was not the one he was expecting. Trunks knew it was not his fault that he was in the body of his younger counterpart, but nonetheless he felt responsible.

He edged back, broadening the proximity between the two. Trunks nodded and forced a smile. "I'm okay," he replied. There was no point in concerning the boy with his own trouble. "What's your name?"

"Goten. I'm Gohan's brother," The boy said as he fell back on his butt, his gaze never leaving him.

Gohan's brother. Of course. This would explain how he had mistaken the younger boy as Gohan. They were about the same age when Trunks was in the other past and they shared a lot of similarities. Or did they? He was filled with self-doubt. Once again, he could not remember how the young Gohan looked like.

"Are you sure you're not our Trunks? You sure sound and look just like him."

He shook his head. Dropping his eyes to his lap, Trunks said in a low voice, "I wish I was so you can have your friend back."

"Hello, Bulma? Can I talk with Vegeta for a second?"

Both Goten and Trunks' attention immediately turned to Gohan. The young woman, Videl, who Trunks definitely did not know, stood beside Gohan. Trunks wondered if he should know her as well. He was no longer sure anymore.

He saw Gohan cringed, holding the phone far from his ear. On the other end of the receiver, Trunks heard intense screaming. Even though Trunks did not hear the words, he could only guess what his mother was screaming about.

"Don't worry, Trunks is awake, but…" Gohan paused for a moment. Trunks could see him thinking as if trying to choose the right words. Trunks tensed. How would his mother react? Unlike his visit to the past, he had now taken over her son who she had nurtured since the time of birth.

"But…." Gohan let out a sigh of relief and said, "Vegeta, I'm so glad it's you. I don't know how to break this to Bulma."

Gohan paused again and nodded. "Trunks is awake, but…," Gohan started to explain and then frowned, pressing his ears tight against the phone. "Hello, Vegeta? Are you still there?" After another pause, Gohan continued. "Good, you're still there. Listen, Trunks is…hello? Hello? Vegeta?"

Gohan looked at Goku and said, "I lost connection. Give me a second. I'll try again."

Before Gohan could punch the number again, the heart rate monitor beside him started to beep; red and green lines dipped and rose uncontrollably. Lights started to flash violently on the other machines. In the hallway, Trunks saw people with white coats and nurse outfit scurrying about, bumping into each other as they passed.

"What's going on here?" Videl asked, spinning around.

"I see the problems reached this part of the city already," said Piccolo as he took a step in the room while keeping his eyes on the erratic machines.

* * *

><p>"Damn it! I lost him!" Vegeta slammed the phone on the ground. Gohan told him Trunks was awake. Vegeta knew there was more. Gohan could have simply relayed the message to Bulma and not insisted talking to him. Trunks was awake but in what condition? Vegeta glanced at his charred arms. That was no dream. If he brought his injuries back from that world, then what about Trunks?<p>

The dreams were still fresh in his mind. He wondered if Trunks was okay and Vegeta was not just concern about the boy's physical state. Why would the boy react so strongly to his older counterpart? It made no sense at all. Was that really his son? Sure, Trunks was a pain in the ass at times and threw tantrums that could very well destroy a city or two, but Vegeta had never seen the boy really intended to kill. Vegeta shivered inwardly. The look on Trunks' face almost reminded Vegeta of his past self, malevolence and lack of remorse, especially when he aimed at the future brat. _How am I going to explain that to Bulma? _

At the corner of his eyes, he saw Bulma bent down to pick up the phone. Holding it in her hand, she turned to face him. The dark circles under her eyes had grown, spreading near her cheeks. His woman needed to leave this house and get rest. Screw the handicap. Now that Trunks was awake, the scumbags could not threaten him with the Trunks' safety. Vegeta could now take his revenge upon those who had caused him shitload of headache and hurt his goddamn son.

"What did Gohan say? How come he can't tell me? Did something happen to Trunks?"

Vegeta let out a heavy sigh. Seeing Bulma in her current state stripped him of all his anger. He had Trunks to worry about, but since his boy was in capable hand, he should start seeing the welfare of his distraught wife. Vegeta walked until he was standing by her side. He forced his voice to come out as gentle as he could muster. "Trunks is awake."

Bulma narrowed her eyes and tilted her head slightly, waiting for him to continue. Vegeta shrugged. How could he tell her more when he did not know himself? Bulma moved to stand right in front of him with her hands on her hips, her chest puffed, staring straight in his eyes. There was one thing Vegeta had learned from his fifteen or so years living on this backward planet, women, especially women with children were extremely intuitive when one of their own was in danger and Bulma was no exceptions.

"Vegeta, there is more to this. I can tell, and don't you dare try to avoid this subject. Now tell me, what were you dreaming about? Was it about Trunks?"

Sometime, just sometime, Vegeta wished the one he had chosen was not as sharp, as intelligent as this woman before him. "It was only a dream, woman," Vegeta said as he tore his eyes away from hers, avoiding her scrutinizing stare.

"Dream, my ass! You're such as shitty liar, Vegeta. If it was only a dream, how do you explain your scorched body!" Vegeta felt her hand on his shoulder, sliding down the length of his arm. Her strong, demanding voice contradicted the softness of her touch. Vegeta involuntarily tensed.

"How am I supposed to know? You built this fucking thing. Why don't you tell me?" Vegeta retorted, trying his best to mask the overwhelming urge to pull her into his arms. Again, this gushy, sentimental feeling followed him from inside his dreams. Vegeta was not against showing affections especially when alone with his family, but he had never been the initiator. He would never initiate a hug, a kiss, well, he might instigate a night or two of wild, primal, heated fun, but that was not the point. He felt like someone or something was messing with his emotions and did not like it one bit. Vegeta scowled and used his palm to push his thick hair back in frustrations.

Bulma sighed, her shoulders dropped. If it was even possible, he swore his woman aged right before his eyes. "I'm so damn worry about Trunks and...," Bulma raised her head. "I'm also worry about you, Vegeta. I feel completely useless. I can't fix the handicap in time. I can't make all this go away...," Bulma said, one of her hands covering her quivering lips. "I..."

Oh screw this! Vegeta grabbed and pulled her toward him, smothering her against his chest.

Bulma yelped in surprise.

"Shut up, you stupid woman!" Vegeta wrapped her tighter around his arms. "Don't be so full of yourself. You think I'll let you weak human defeat the enemy when the prince of Saiyans is standing here alive!"

Vegeta felt her arms reached around his back, squeezing him so tight, he thought he heard his bone cracking. From the closeness between him and Bulma, Vegeta felt movement in that bump of hers, making him realized there was yet another he had to protect. Protect. It was not until Vegeta came face to face with his past that he finally grasped just how much he had changed.

"You cannot sta-" Vegeta fell silent. His sense intensified, his body became rigid. He pushed Bulma away and dropped his eyes on the floor. The hard oak floor became soft, his boots sinking into what felt like soil. Short budding grasses grew, inches by inches until it reached the height of his knees. Vegeta let out a deep growl. One thing after another. _When will it ever going to fucking end?_

"What the..." Bulma stuttered, twirling around, exasperated at the changing environment. The ceiling rose. The wall expanded. The ground trembled. Trees shot up. A sudden gush of wind brushed by them. Wind. In a damn basement. Vegeta's growled deepened.

* * *

><p>His preparation with Tysfia was almost going according to plan. It had successfully infiltrated the mainframe and the inner part of this city. In another day, Minat guaranteed it would spread wide and far, possibly across half the world. Then, they would be free to roam this planet. Even if Bulma found a solution to deal with Tysfia, it would be too late. They would have already turned into real living being and if all went well, Gizeth and he would also be two separate entities. Of course, they had to find those magical balls first.<p>

Yet now, Minat was filled with self-doubt and uncertainty. He had meant to release Tysfia beneath the detection of his enemies. Tysfia was not supposed to affect the beings in this world. It was only supposed to multiply under the radar, spreading its presence unnoticed.

Minat blamed his lack of foresight for these unexpected events. Tysfia was a virus. Viruses evolved. How could he forget to include this as a possible risk factor? Not only had Tysfia made itself known to their enemies by creating chaos among the cities, it had also transferred his enemy to the world where Minat had kept his creator. This could potentially be disastrous if his creator escaped. It was fortunate Trunks was still captive, though the other Trunks coming to his world was another variable he had not anticipated. Minat did not know what this new development entailed. Was it to his advantage or would it be their downfall?

He was sure that it would not take long before Bulma learned of Tysfia. Based on Giddymouse's newest information, his enemies were on the move and no doubt wanted to see their heads on a platter.

In the distant, Minat could hear the running streams splashing against the rocky bank. The repetitive sound calmed him. He let out a quick breath. Minat ran a few options through his mind. All was not lost. He did not wish death upon his enemies or resorted to a dishonorable act, but now he had no choice. It was kill or be killed.

"I know you can't control all of them, but one? I'm sure you can do that!" Gizeth exclaimed. Minat felt his body pacing over the soft soil. With a downward glance, Minat saw the deep footprints left behind by their boots.

It was true. Minat could control at least one powerful one, but what if…what if he could not? What if the evolvement of Tysfia had unexpectedly powered his pawn to an uncontrollable level? Doubts seeped in Minat's consciousness again. Minat clamped down on his crooked teeth.

"Didn't that damn rat said they're coming? Do you know what this mean? This means we're going to get our ass kick," Gizeth cried out, fear in his voice. Minat understood his feeling of dread. Neither of them wished to disappear when there were more in this world to see and experience. Minat silently cursed his incompetency, his inability to foresee the flaw in his plan.

Minat heard a branch cracked from behind and quietly mourned the destruction of such beauty even though he knew it was all an illusion. He sighed. "No. As long as we have our creator in captivity, we can still bluff…," Minat said.

"Bluff? What you mean by that?"

Minat sighed again. Truth to be told, he knew not if the other version of Trunks had severed the link between him and his creator. He still felt the connection, but it was not as strong as before. "In order for us to survive, Gizeth, we must not allow them to attack us. If my fear is true, we only have minimal effect on our creator's body," Minat explained. He knew the only reason why their enemies left them alone now was due to their creator. If the link was no longer present between Trunks and them, their enemies would not hold back.

"Well, isn't this wonderful!" Gizeth spat. Minat saw his arms waving in the air. "So our only option is to kill them with our strongest fighter before they can touch us. Then, what the hell are you waiting for? Kill them while they're apart. Disperse their power. It's the simplest tactic, Minat!"

"Very well. Bulma will find out soon enough what is creating all these mishaps and she will counteract. I guess it is best we make the first move."

"Now you're talking!"

* * *

><p>"Bulma. Does your program work outside of the simulation room?" Vegeta asked without looking at Bulma. He took a step forward, searching for the exit that was no longer there.<p>

"It's impossible. I've built the room so the sensory connection with living nerves is contained within the metal wall," Bulma explained from behind.

Vegeta felt it. It was a ki signature he was all too familiar with and the vile thing was rising to a despicably high level.

"Shit!" Vegeta cursed beneath his breath. Leaving a challenge was an act the prince of Saiyans condemned and frowned upon. Facing his adversary, despite the difference in power level, was what Vegeta was planning on doing, but... Vegeta looked over his shoulder and saw Bulma bent down to scoop a pile of soil into her hand, pinching the substance in her fingers and bringing it to her nose. She sniffed and frowned.

"This feels and smells real."

"Didn't I always say you outdid yourself with that damn room," Vegeta said, throwing her a quick smirk and immediately frowning when he sensed movement not far ahead.

"Is that suppose to be a compliment or an insult?" Bulma shot him a glare. She stood up, brushing the dirt on her pants.

Vegeta did not respond. His attention was now fully on the approaching ki. Vegeta had been gullible, trusting the enemies to hold their end of the bargains, giving them a chance to make the first move. Vegeta cursed himself for allowing it to happen. Now, he was with Bulma, who did not have an ounce of strength to fight back. With Bulma around, he might as well fight with his hands tied behind his back. His only consolation was that he did not have to worry about really fighting with a fifty percent handicap since Trunks was now awake. He did not want to wish it, but at this moment, he wanted Kakarott here. At least, that damn fool could bring Bulma to somewhere safe.

Vegeta scanned his surrounding again. The room was now fully transformed into a thick lushes forest with a fortress of granite hills to his right. He saw a small opening behind layers of hanging vines. Vegeta sensed ki advancing their way, slowly but surely. Vegeta levitated, flew to Bulma, scooped her from under her knees and armpits.

"Where are we going?"

"Hush!"

Vegeta descended in front of the tight gap, running five to six feet high and wide enough to only fit one grown human. Vegeta let Bulma down and lightly shoved her in. "Stay here and do not come out, no matter what! You hear me, woman!"

"But!"

"Dammit, Bulma! For once, do not argue with me!" Vegeta warned while quickly pulling the vines down, covering the cave entrance with the thick, long plant. The ki was getting closer. Vegeta spun around and took off, ready to meet his most hated foe.

"Vegeta! Just be careful, you hear me?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I've encountered my first writer's block for this fic and it was hell! I stared at a blank screen for days and I've lost track of how many times I rewrote this chapter! It was not until I ditched Gizeth's POV that I started to get the flow of the writing back. Gizeth to me still seems under-developed and pretty one dimensional and it's hard to get a good grasp of him at this point. I hope to develop him more as long as he doesn't give me another case of writer's block. Hahhahhaa! I'm also going to include more of Goku and his family soon, give them more actions instead of standing around and talk. LoL! Though I can't help but wonder if I made Gohan too mature and Goku too dumb...

As always, please review! Tell me what you think! Tell me the good, the bad and even the ugly! Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 11 Enemy from the Past

**A/N: **Some changes: In the earlier chapters, I referred to Mirai Trunks as Future Trunks, but I've decided to change to simply Trunks. I hope you don't find the change confusing.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

**Enemy from the Past**

* * *

><p>Bulma pushed the vines to the side and peeped out the opening. She watched as Vegeta zipped through the thick oversized trees. Within seconds, he was completely out of sight. She stepped out, feeling the slimy moss squished beneath her sneakers. Vegeta had told her to stay put. As if she would listen. She knew the architect of the programming better than anyone. Even if the illusion of the forests felt real, behind it was still their house. They were still in their basement.<p>

Bulma raised her head to the sky. "Giddymouse!"

She stood, listening to all the wonderful wilderness sound, the soft rustle of the leaves, the buzzing of the assorted insects and the chirping of hundreds different species of birds. Right. Splendid. These irritating sounds were stifling the noise of her laptop, making her search that much harder. Bulma cursed. She looked ahead, finding a small incline trail snaking to the right. The trail was not paved, large roots stuck out from the dirt and fallen trees blocked portion of the path. Her laptop was somewhere in this forest. It might not be visible, but if she was within the proximity, she could call forth the damn mouse.

Taking a deep breath and pulling her sweatpants up so the hem stayed above the dirt, Bulma marched forward.

"Giddymouse!" she yelled, cupping her mouth so the sound would travel further. She squinted her eyes to scan for any signs of anything non-organic. Again, nothing.

Bulma continued along the trail. Looking up, she frowned as she noticed the top of the massive trees had created a canopy above her, blocking lights from entering the increasing narrow path. Bulma scowled. She wished she had taken Goku's offer and gone on one of his camping trips. Maybe she would learn a thing or two about surviving in the wild. Bulma refocused on the path. Batting the hanging twigs and the wide variety of flying bugs from her face, she moved ahead, all the while screaming Giddymouse's name.

She paused when she saw a path forked into three different trails. "This is just great," she said, rolling her eyes. One thing she knew about the wilderness, it was extremely easy to be lost in one. Bulma was not about to tread this uncomfortable stuffy forest forever, not when her back started to ache and fatigue started to creep up her body. It had already been more than a day since she slept and she was really feeling the effect.

"You stupid mouse! Where the hell are you!" she screamed. When Bulma was once again met with silence, she let out a frustrated grunt. She stood, pointing right, then the middle and finally to the left, silently singing the nursery rhymes. "Mo!" Her finger stopped at the middle path. "The middle it is."

Another ten minutes passed and still no sign of the wretched computer. Right when she was about to take a break, she saw it. A blinking red light. "Bingo!"

"I think not, Bulma."

She spun around. Bulma yelped as she stepped back, almost tripping on uprooted branch. "Whoo…are you?" Bulma stared with wide eyes. Before her was a white face filled with a disgustingly wide grin. Behind this face, Bulma could vaguely see another face painted in red. "You are Minat and Gizeth!"

"I see you know who we are. I am the one they call Minat," the white face said. Their body angled to the right and the head turned slightly, giving Bulma a clear view of the other face. "He is Gizeth, my partner. It is my honor to finally meet the one who had invented the room."

"Speak for yourself." The back became the front and Gizeth was now facing her. A lightning scar ran from the tip of the forehead down the cheeks, which had created an image of a warrior who had fought in many hard battles.

Bulma took another step back and scanned right and then left. The path she took on the way here was completely blocked. She did not see anyone else. No Vegeta.

Was she scared? Hell yeah! It took every ounce of her reserved energy to stop herself from shaking. She was no longer the coward she had been on Namek or the damsel waiting to be rescued. She admitted that she still needed to be rescued. She was human after all. It was not like she could just blast her way into freedom. Coward, she was definitely not, at least anymore, and she would be damn if she gave her enemy the satisfaction of seeing her terrified.

Bulma closed her eyes and took a breathe of the musky air. She mentally prepped herself to stay strong. She reopened her eyes and stared at the two faces with one body, her stance unwavering. Bulma narrowed her eyes and observed the interaction between the two faces. Already, Bulma noticed a distinctive difference in personality. The face in white was better mannered, while the other was a bit more aggressive and even impatient. Bulma could definitely use this information to her advantage.

"Minat thinks you can get destroy us. He said you're the most dangerous of them all," Gizeth snorted, taking slow and deliberate step. He pulled his lips up with a small snarl, his eyes twinkled with amusement. "Now, what do you think we want with someone who can destroy us?"

Instead of backing away, Bulma stood her ground. Even if she ran, she doubted she could outrun these two. All she could hope for now was to stall. After Vegeta finished his business, she was sure Vegeta would be coming to look for her. The question was, would he make it on time?

Ignoring the obvious threats in Gizeth's question, she finally asked, "How did you turn my lab into a forest? How is that possible?"

The monster halted. "My sincere apology, Bulma. I am afraid we cannot answer any of your questions." Bulma did not see the red face's mouth moved, so she figured it was the face in the back that was doing the talking. The body shifted once again, showing the face in the back. This was seriously getting a tad annoying. Leave it to Trunks to design such an inconvenient monster.

Despite what Minat said, Bulma continued to pry. "What happened to the game?" When they did not answer, she continued, "The game was a diversion, wasn't it?" She watched their reaction carefully. The face did not react, but Bulma could see a slight twitch in the white face. She hit the spot.

Bulma bit her lower lip. These creations of Trunks could now walk freely outside of the confined room. That was the problem. Her programs were no longer restricted to one area. These holographic images expanded from the simulation room to her lab. What could possibly be the cause? She thought back to the conversation she had with Giddymouse. The virus had infiltrated her systems, reprogramming all the codes and functions. "This is the work of the virus," She concluded. Bulma cursed herself for being tricked. She should have guessed it. All the time wasted, breaking into the black box could have been spent deciphering the origin of the virus.

The white face sighed through his gaping mouth. "Perhaps if you're not that smart, we might allow you to live, but as this prove, you are a threat to our existence," Minat said. "Gizeth, make it a fast and painless death. She deserved as much."

"What's the fun in that?"

"Please, Gizeth, none of your unnecessary brutality," Minat insisted.

"Wait," Bulma intended to stall as long as she could. "What do you really want? Freedom? I can make it happen."

"I am afraid I cannot take your words on this matter. Even now, I can see deception in your eyes. Do not take us for a fool," Minat said.

_Deception! Who's tricking who? _Bulma bit her tongue from speaking her thoughts. She narrowed her eyes when another thought popped in her head. "If you don't need my help, then you know how to escape, don't you?"

"Don't you see what she's doing?" Gizeth said, inching his way toward Bulma, smirking. Bulma inadvertently stepped back, her heart thumping against her chest. She tried. She really tried her best to stretch the time. _Where the hell was Vegeta!_

"Very well. Your time is up, Bulma."

* * *

><p>Goku materialized before Bulma's front door. It had only been a night since he last visited this compound and here he was again. Had it not been for the sudden spike in Vegeta's ki and the emergence of unfamiliar ki, Goku suspected that they would still be in the hospital, assisting with the evacuation.<p>

While Gohan and Piccolo were concerned about the gadgets springing to life and the possible indication that it had on this peaceful planet, Goku admitted that his thought was fully on the upcoming game.

Goku looked back. Gohan was right behind him with the two younger Saiyans, one on each side, waiting for Goku next move. Piccolo had decided to stay with Chichi and Videl to look after their safety as well as investigate the cause of the berserk machines.

Goku raised one finger, silently telling the kids to wait. They nodded.

Before Goku left the compound, he had temporarily placed the fallen door at the entrance. It was not much of a shield, but better than leaving an open invitation for all those who passed their house. Goku stood in front of the temporary door and gave it a light push. It dropped, falling backward into the living area. He could see the inside clearly from where he stood. It was just as he left it, still in a big mess. He concentrated on the ki emitting from within. His brows creased. He did not like the unfamiliar ki approaching to Bulma and a very familiar ki almost near Vegeta. To make matter worst, Vegeta and Bulma was not together. _What were they thinking! _Goku closed his eyes, giving all his efforts in pinpointing their precise location, but the more he tried, the more the ki eluded him.

Goku placed one foot forward, stepping on the hinge. As soon as he stuck his head through the doorway, he gasped. "Holy shit!" he accidently let out. He immediately yanked himself back outside.

"What happened?" Gohan asked, about to repeat Goku's action by taking a step.

Goku halted him by extending his arm across the open entrance. "Gohan, what are the possibilities that..." Goku tried to remember one of the words they had used. "the projection..can the projection leave the actual room?"

"Impossible."

Goku thought as much. He relaxed his arm, giving Gohan free access to Bulma's house, but blocked the two younger Saiyans. "Stick your head in and tell me I'm not going crazy."

Gohan did as he was told. He stuck his head in and within seconds, pulled it out with his eyebrows stitching and widening, a look of total confusion and bewilderment. He stuck his head in just to pull it out again, repeating this action at least three times. "Dad, if you're crazy then so am I."

He could almost see his eldest son's thought spinning, no doubt assessing the possibilities of this new discovery. Goku never understood why Chi Chi had insisted on Gohan's study when he was a child, but now, Goku was starting to understand a little. Gohan was strong, even more so than him, but aside from that, Gohan was also smart, a deadly combination, Goku thought with a proud smile on his face.

"If what I'm thinking is true, then we're in serious trouble," Gohan groaned.

Goten and Trunks eyed each other and then looked to Goku and Gohan for details. "Dad, what did you see?" Goten asked.

"A forest," Gohan responded before Goku had a chance.

Their mouths dropped, dumbfounded and speechless. They both glanced past Gohan only to find flipped couches, shattered glasses and broken household items. Goten and Trunks was not the only one baffled. They all were.

"But…" Goten pointed to the living area.

"Yes, we're all seeing the same thing. A normal house with damaged goods, but once we stepped through, well...the house changed," Gohan explained, positioning his glasses back in place. He rubbed his chin as he focused intently on the inside.

"Do not let your guard down. I have a sinking feeling this is one of the many surprises to come," Goku continued and Gohan nodded in agreement. From the brief second he entered the tree infested world, he could clearly locate both Vegeta and Bulma's ki. Time was running short.

Gohan leaned closer to Goku and whispered in his ear, "Is it wise to let Goten and Trunks come along?"

"I'm coming!"

"So am I!"

Goku almost tripped as he took one step back. The two shorter Saiyans were instantly before him, staring up at him with four wide, determined eyes. Goku chuckled and ruffled the back of his head. After Buu, it had been difficult to get his youngest son engaged in a good spar. Both Trunks and Goten lacked the drive to become stronger. Sure, they had use the simulation room for sparring, though to them, it was just all funs and games. Goku was secretly pleased that if nothing else, this new threat had put spark back in his son's life.

The first year after he came back to live, Goten had been his little shadow, following him everywhere. He always wanted to play. Goku had been more than willing to be the father he never was, but then somewhere along the way, he noticed he saw Goten less. He wondered why. Sure, Goku had taken some...well...maybe more than some solo trips and had not been home as much, but when he was home, he was always ready to play with his little boy, but Goten had shown less and less interest in spending time with him. Goku hoped that he could use this time to get a little closer to his youngest.

Goku placed one hand on his son's head and the other on Trunks, only to find Trunks turning crimson red and casted his eyes straight to the cold cement. _Oh yeah. I almost forgot that this is Trunks from the future. _Goku let out a nervous laugh and let go of his hands. Turning to Gohan, he said, "Don't worry. I'm here. I'll make sure nothing will happen to them."

Goku could tell Gohan was not convinced, but reluctantly abided.

"Ready?"

All three boys nodded. In pairs, they walked through. "This is unreal," Goku heard Goten shouted out, followed by a very confused 'what', mostly likely from Trunks. Goku could not blame them. Even his head hurt from just thinking of an explanation. Just hearing Gohan and Bulma talked with technological terms had caused his mind to reel in circles. Goku would not deny it. He was absolutely no help in a factual and theoretical discussion. Where he thrived was his combatant and his tactical ability. While Vegeta was a master strategist with superior skills on long-term battle plans, Goku was not without skills of his own. In a tight situation, Goku has an innate ability to form short but effective plan to overcome his enemies.

Once Goku's body completely emerged from the entrance, thick tree trunks appeared behind them, blocking their escape. As seconds passed, the brightness from the outside world gradually diminished. Goku placed his fingers on his forehead, concentrating on Piccolo's ki. It was vague, barely detectable, but it was there. As long as he could sense his ki, he could teleport his way out.

He turned his attention to the dense forest ahead. Vegeta was already engaged in battle. From the power level, Vegeta had already transformed to Super Saiyan 2. This was so unlike Vegeta, who liked to toy with this opponent before showing his real power. How long had he been fighting? It shouldn't be too long ago since they just picked up the sudden spike of ki activity. Either Vegeta was having a tough time beating his opponent or he was anxious to finish the fight.

Deeper in the forest, further from where he sensed Vegeta, Goku could feel fear emitting from Bulma's ki. Now, Goku understood the reason for Vegeta's urgency.

Bulma was in danger.

Since Goku could not be at two places at once, he could only trust Gohan to lead one of the rescue missions. But who should he send with him? Trunks? Goten? Or none? And where? Goten had met their creations before and his information on their skills could prove invaluable. Trunks, on the other hand, should stay far away from them. Between Vegeta, Gohan and Trunks, Goku concluded they were more than enough to handle their old, unwelcomed enemy. Goku decided he should lead Goten and rescue Bulma.

"Listen, everyone," Goku motioned them to crowd around him. Goten and Trunks slowly moved, their heads up in the sky one minute and all around the next, staring at the new surrounding in wonder and disbelief. Once everyone gathered, Goku turned on his serious face to command their complete attention.

"Gohan and Trunks, you go and help Vegeta. Goten and I will rescue Bulma." Goku glanced at each of their face to see their reaction. Surprisingly, no one objected.

"A smart move, Dad," Gohan said, smiling. "You've been paying attention after all. Sending Trunks to Minat and Gizeth will indeed be a bad idea."

Goku once again let out a nervous laugh. "I guess I did, didn't I? Anyways, time is running out. We should be on our way. One more thing. I can still teleport out of here. When either side is finished, remember to go to the other team."

Everyone nodded and flew their separate way.

* * *

><p>Vegeta stood with one foot on the cracked boulder; his arms crossed against his chest, waiting for the tyrant to show up. Vegeta focused on Bulma's ki and scowled when he sensed movement. That damn woman! It was too late. He could not go back for her without bringing the enemy along. The only thing Vegeta could do now was to finish him off as quickly as possible.<p>

"I see you have changed, prince Vegeta," the short figure appeared with his tail slapping against the nearby stones and rocks, smashing it into tiny dust.

"I see you did not. Just as repulsive as ever, Frieza." Vegeta snorted. Vegeta took a quick sweep of Frieza's current power. This was not good. Vegeta remembered only leveling Frieza to Level 3. This one did not belong to him. Fucking Kakarott!

Frieza stretched his lips and curled the corner into an appalling smirk; his head tilted slightly to the right. "Ah…I almost forgot that mouth of yours. I truly miss it," Frieza said while wetting his foul purple lips with his snake-like tongue.

"Hmph. You have forgotten more than the mouth of mine. You've completely forgotten how powerful I've become," Vegeta flatly stated.

This had extracted a hideous, high-pitched cackle from the white lizard. Once Frieza seized his laughter, he made a big show of wiping an invisible tear from his tiny slitted eye. "You never ceased to entertain me, my monkey prince. The last I remembered, I had sent you to your grave, and what did you do before that?"

Vegeta gritted his teeth. He did not enjoy taking a trip down that memory lane. Vegeta hardened his face. _Control_, Vegeta repeated in his mind. _Do not let him provoke you._

"Oh yes. Did you not weep like a pathetic child in front of your third-class subject? Did you not beg for revenge?"

He forgot how much he hated this lizard. Frieza had always been the pain of his existence. Even after his death, the tyrant still plagued his dreams of the cruel punishments and humiliations Vegeta had endured throughout his childhood and into adulthood. He had always regretted that Frieza did not die by his own hand, perhaps, this was his chance.

"What's the matter, little prince? Too scared to talk back?" Frieza taunted, obviously having fun at his expenses.

Instead of falling into Frieza's trap of provocation, Vegeta had a better idea. He smirked, feeling a piece of his shrewdness returned. "Oh Frieza, you, ruler of the universe, feared by all who heard of the name, was only whinny little brat." Vegeta smirked wider when Frieza was no longer smiling. His face became dark, his eyes slit thinner. Mimicking Frieza's tone, Vegeta continued, "When you were killed by my so called third-class subject, what did you do after that? Oh yes, did you not run to his dearest daddy for help, just to be killed by my son."

"Vegeta, you will regret making a fool out of me. I, Frieza, will never turn tails and run to my sire. You are spinning false tales and I will make sure you pay dearly for it." He took one step toward him, snapping dried twigs in halves or more.

From Frieza's reaction, Vegeta could tell Frieza genuinely believed he had committed no such acts. No matter, Vegeta had accomplished his goal. The one with the upper hand in battle was always the one with a leveled head. Vegeta was simply using Frieza's tactic to lure him into an unconscious rage. The sooner this fight was over, the sooner he could retrieve Bulma.

Just to check up on his disobedient woman, he scanned the area where he last left her. He frowned. She was far from where she should have been. Another ki, a ki that Vegeta would never forget, was near her. Too close for his comfort. This was not good. Damn woman!

Vegeta highly doubted that Frieza would pause the fight so he could save his woman. No, that would be too easy.

Vegeta's gaze followed Frieza closely. Once Frieza was positioned beside the largest tree filled with webs of intertwined branches, Vegeta released a sizable ki ball straight at the tree, right above the root. The impact caused the aged tree to split from the base and dropped onto the unexpected recipient. Vegeta did not expect this to finish Frieza. A diversion was all he needed. He has no time to play with this fiend, even though he very much wanted to send Frieza to hell and back twice over.

But Bulma was his priority. Vegeta used the coverage of the dry dust from the wooden splinters to aid his exit. "I'm sure we'll meet again," Vegeta said, dryly. He turned, lifted himself from the boulder and was about to fly toward Bulma's direction.

"Leaving so soon?"

Vegeta did not expect it. Normally, he would have sense the ki. Maybe he did, maybe the tyrant was simply too fast, so fast that he did not pick up the movement before it was too late. In a matter of second, Vegeta felt this body lifted in the air, then a blow to his right cheek, sending him soaring through columns of sturdy trees. _Shit!_

* * *

><p>Trunks had been silent since his awakening, only observing and digesting pieces of information thrown at him. He did not ask for more details nor had the opportunity to do so. What he did learn was that they were facing some unknown threat that had manifested from an invention his mother had created. It was frustrating to be left in the dark.<p>

Truth to be told, Trunks found it difficult to insert himself in their conversations. He felt like an intruder in more ways than one. While he had a purpose in going to the past of the other timeline, his purpose here was unknown. Trunks sighed. He just had to be patient. He was sure his mother of this timeline could come up with a resolution and send him back to his original world.

He followed Gohan closely, barely keeping up with the older Saiyan's speed. This body was shorter than he was used to, but he had adjusted. Trunks' flexed his arm, thus agitated the wounds from the fractured ribs. Right now, the pain was dulled with the help of medication and Trunks could feel his bones started to mend on its own. He should have no trouble lending his father a helping hand.

Beside the fractured ribs, Trunks found nothing else broken in this body. While practicing control over this twelve years old boy, he learned that this Trunks possessed a power far beyond what he himself was capable of at that age. Also, his counterpart could already transform into a Super Saiyan. Legend had it that only when one was pushed past their limits, both emotionally and physically, could one ascend to their Super Saiyan form. His came with a huge price, a sacrifice. Trunks wondered what the trigger was for his counterpart, at such a young age, no less.

Trunks surveyed his surroundings, while looping through the gap between branches, limbs and vines. If he did not see with his own eyes, he would have thought this was impossible. Though Trunks should not be too surprised, his mother, after all, had invented a time travel machine. Trunks swatted another hanging plant from his view. Even so, it still amazed Trunks that a compound could completely transform into forest filled with dense vegetations. Not only that, they have been flying with high speed for at least five minutes. Surely, his mother's house was not so big that it could accommodate a forest the size of a national park. Something must have caused it. Was it the invention they were talking about?

Another mystery was the ki he had sensed back in the hospital. He had no doubt the ki belonged to Frieza, but that made absolutely no sense at all. He remembered clearly as if it happened yesterday. He had destroyed Frieza. Not even a speck of cells survived, then how could it be possible that Frieza was here? Again, the images from his memory were vague, fleeting, hard to grasp. Did he really kill Frieza? He was about to wonder about his sanity.

"We're almost there," Trunks heard Gohan said. Trunks shifted right to avoid the wooden barrier and shifted left to avoid another, maneuvering skillfully through the obstacles. "Be on guard."

"Right," was all Trunks said.

How would his father react to his appearance? Stealing the body of his real son? How about his mother? Trunks unconsciously swallowed the lump from this throat. He was nervous. Meeting his father again was both exciting and intimidating. The father, from the other past, was just as his own mother described, a complete and utter asshole. Despite knowing it, Trunks could not help but accept the father for who he was; all bad qualities included. However, the Vegeta he met from this world was different. Not in appearance, but in the attitude. Mellower, softer and Trunks caught glimpses of the compassion when interacting with this Trunks. Trunks assumed that Vegeta was of this world. He did not confirm it, but all evidences led to this conclusion. From the reaction of Goku, Gohan and even Goten who spoke of Vegeta, they almost treated his father as one of their own, part of the family almost. Dare Trunks hope? All he wanted was to know his father. The father his mother fell in love with.

"Get ready, Trunks."

Trunks reached for his back, only to realize this body carried no sword. It was not like he needed it. It was a bad habit of his to always reach for the object his mother had given him.

"Vegeta!" Trunks heard Gohan yelled out. From the corner of his eyes, he confirmed the enemy fighting with his father was indeed Frieza, in his final form, before his body was reconstructed with metallic parts.

His father was only two short feet away, blocking all the punches from Frieza's relentless attack. This Frieza was much more powerful than the one he destroyed, even more so than the androids from his time.

Trunks saw Gohan powered up. Something was different, Trunks noticed. The blue aura appeared from the base of his feet and gradually engulfed the rest of his body; his hair spiked as if he was about to turn Super Saiyan, but before that happened, Gohan shifted a little to the right and then disappeared, only to appear behind Frieza. With a quick jab, Gohan sent Frieza shooting across the now barren land. Trunks could not believe his eyes. His father had transformed beyond the power of Super Saiyan and was barely keeping up with Frieza. All Gohan did was jab him. Granted, Gohan had completely caught Frieza off guard.

"Are you alright, Vegeta?"

His father shot red substances from his mouth to a waiting bark and swiped the remaining blood on his face with the back of his hand. "I see you've been keeping up with your training."

"Not really, just light exercise now and then," Gohan said as he laughed nervously.

"Hmph. Take care of things here. I'm going to get Bulma," Vegeta said, ready to head off.

"My dad is on his way, Vegeta. She's in capable hand."

Trunks could see his father's tensed muscles relaxed. "Damn, Kakarott. Playing hero to my woman," his father snorted.

Trunks floated quietly beside Gohan, unsure of how to acknowledge this Vegeta. When his father saw him, Trunks was expecting complete rejection. But contrary to his expectations, Trunks saw his father took in a deep breath and raised his fist to the air. Before he could react, Trunks felt the fist coming down, hitting his head, hard. "You foolish brat! What the hell do you think you're doing here?" His father turned to Gohan and glared at him accusingly. "What possessed you to bring him here?"

Trunks nursed the spot where his father clocked him. It was not meant to cause damage, if anything, it almost felt like punishment a parent would bestowed on their misbehaved children. "Father."

His father paused, his eyes narrowed. He raised his arm and extended his fingers. Circle of light spun from the center, creating a vortex of energy. "Who are you?"

Gohan spread his arms in a protective position, shielding Trunks from Vegeta, "Wait, Vegeta! I can explain, but first, we have to defeat Frieza." Gohan said, his head turning to the area where he had last seen Frieza.

"He's no son of mine! Where is my son?" Vegeta batted Gohan off to the side and came directly at him, causing Trunks to float back. His father had completely disregarded the threat that was heading their direction.

Trunks used his hands to create a distance between him and his father, attempting to calm the other Saiyan down. What could he say? What should he say? It was a fact that he had occupied his son's body, rather intentionally or not. It was clear that his current father was a father to only one Trunks and that was not him.

"Vegeta! This is not the time. He is your son, just not from this timeline!"

That caught his father's attention. "What do you mean, explain now!"

Before Gohan could answer, he disappeared. Both Trunks and Vegeta followed his movement and noticed that Gohan blocked the incoming ki blast with his ki of his own. He heard Gohan yelled out between blows. "I'll hold Frieza off for a bit. Trunks, explain everything to Vegeta!"

Explain? How could he explain something he did not understand? Time traveling was scientific, something he could grasp with numbers and equations. Switching minds and souls were simply beyond his comprehension. He could see veins started to surface on the older Saiyan.

"I'm Trunks from the future," Trunks finally said. He knew this sound absurd, even as he was saying it. He was surprised that Gohan and the others took his word.

"This is absurd!" His father growled, echoing Trunks' thought. "And which future were you from. You look the same age as my son!"

"Father, believe me when I say I'm as confused as you are. One minute I was fighting my father from the past and the next I saw a bright light shooting straight at me. From none other than my present self." Trunks had been calm. He allowed the torrent of events to sweep him along, but with this confession, he let out all his raw emotions bottled up since his arrival. Fear and uncertainly filled his voice. Suddenly embarrassed, Trunks quickly shut his mouth and looked away, avoiding his father's intense glare.

He heard his father groaned. Trunks looked up and saw Vegeta slid his hand down his face, pulling the flesh downward. "This cannot be happening. You traded spaces with my son? How is that possible? You're not even…" His father caught himself before finishing the sentence.

_Not even…not even what? _This has greatly piqued Trunks' curiosity above all the other mysteries.

Both Trunks and Vegeta heard a loud explosion to their right. Trunks was fully expecting Gohan has the upper hand, but judging from the scene, Gohan was the one thrown across the terrain. Within seconds, Frieza appeared before him, with a smirk in his face. "Come, my monkey prince, we have an overdue appointment."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Don't worry, I didn't forget about the present Trunks. He will show up soon, probably not the next chapter but definitely the one after.

Thanks for reading and please review!


	13. Chapter 12  The Battle Continues

**A/N: **Heh! No love on the last chapter? Oh well...I hope you'll find this chapter a bit more enjoyable! And I apologize for this long ridiculously long chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>Game of Life<strong>

**Chapter 12 - The Battle Continues**

* * *

><p>Trailing behind his dad was not easy. The guy was fast. His dad had attempted to slow down and probably already did, which made Goten pouted and whined about being treated like a kid. His dad tended to do that a lot, especially with him. Just because he was younger and maybe weaker...his dad did not understand that he was already eleven. He had done more when he was only seven. Like fighting Buu…turned Super Saiyan 3 along with Trunks…and they had lived through it, well, barely…<p>

Trunks. He missed him. A lot. The future him was quiet and was not as fun as his best friend. Time like this, Goten bet that Trunks could come up with one or two mischievous scenarios on how to take care of the enemies. He missed those days when they cockily fought Super Buu as Gotenks, thinking they were the strongest in the world. Creating those little armies of ghosts was the highlight of the entire battle. Sure. It was childish, and they had outgrown those fighting styles, but he was sure they could come up with styles befitting of their age. If only Trunks was around now. Without his best friend, it seemed Goten was just tagging along, listening to the adults, did as he was told. He sighed.

It had been over a day since his best friend disappeared. Goten wondered exactly where Trunks was and how he was doing? It must be terrifying to be alone. Goten knew he would hate it if it had been him.

Goten's face smacked into his dad's back when his dad abruptly stop_. _Goten grimaced and was slightly embarrassed that he was not paying attention. He rubbed his sore nose as he stared at the towering back of his dad, his view blocked. Shifting to the side, he followed his dad's gaze to the figures below.

"Gizeth and Minat," Goten muttered. He saw Bulma standing with her chin in the air and feet grounded in the soil. For a mom, Bulma certainly had a commanding presence.

"Are you sure it's them?" His dad asked with a frown on his face or was that disappointment? Goten remembered telling everyone that Gizeth and Minat was weak. His dad probably did not pay attention.

Goten nodded, "Dad, before we fight them, remember to go easy. We don't know if Trunks is still connected to them or not. We don't want him hurt again like the last time."

"Goten, why don't you take them on? You're more than capable," Goku said as he nudged him toward Bulma and the monster, who were all oblivious to their arrival.

"Me?" Goten pointed at himself. "Again? Why do I always have to do what everyone hates?" Goten whined. First Trunks and now even his own dad.

"Goten, if I go, I'm afraid I might hurt them more than I should."

"Why do I feel like I always get the leftovers…" Goten grumbled and then heaved a sigh in defeat. Being the youngest Saiyan was no fun at all.

When Goten saw Minat and Gizeth moving toward Bulma, with another sigh, he speeded down, straight into Minat's grinning face. Goten brought himself to a complete stop and said, "Remember me?" Goten brought his leg up and tapped their neck with a soft kick. Goten did not even use a fraction of his power and the creature was sent flying into an overgrown bush.

"Bulma, are you okay?" His dad appeared behind him, waving with the big grin on his face.

"Goku!" Bulma yelled as she dropped to the floor in a kneeling position. Goten could tell she was still shaking, more violently now since she dropped the pretense. His dad knelt beside Trunks' mom and she immediately swung her arms his neck. "I thought I was a goner! You know how scared I was?"

"Could have fooled me. I thought you're about to take them down yourself," his dad joked.

"Right," Bulma said, rolling her eyes. Bulma released his neck and glanced around, searching for something or maybe someone. "Where's Vegeta..."

"Don't worry, Gohan and Trunks went to help him."

"Trunks? Goku, how dare you bring Trunks here! Are you stupid or just plain crazy?" Goten cringed at the high-pitched voice and inadvertently covered his ear. Was it woman in general that loved to use that screechy voice or was it just moms? It appeared that Trunks and his mom always used that tone, which could be pretty devastating to one's eardrum. Though, Goten never heard Eighteen used that voice on Krillin or Marron. Well, Eighteen...Goten supposed she was different enough.

"Trunks recovered just fine and perfectly capable of defending himself."

"But he just wo…"

Goten flew to where Minat and Gizeth were, leaving his dad and Bulma to their conversations. He wished Trunks or rather Future Trunks was here, just so he could see if the mental link was still connected.

Goten carefully examined the bush, kicking it lightly for any signs of life. No response. He kicked again only to agitate a colony of working ants. Some fled while some attempted an assault on Goten, climbing onto his bare hand and into his sleeve. Goten swiped them again. Goten returned to the bush. He could not sense them. Could they be so weak that he accidentally killed them? Goten dived in the center and used his hands to part the leaves and stiff branches. It was completely empty. Those bastards escaped. Goten hung his head. An easy task and he failed. Miserably.

* * *

><p>They were so close. One more second and he would have his first kill. Damn Minat! Gizeth warned him about talking too much. The woman was obviously stalling for time. Even someone as dense as him could tell. Gizeth cracked his neck to loosen the sore spot from the kick.<p>

Not far from them, Gizeth could see the boy heading their direction. Gizeth was clever enough to crawl to another bush, not far from where they were. Gizeth suppressed his ki, a new ability he picked up from his growing collection of monster troop. If only he could deploy them without asking Minat for permission, he would not be in the situation he was now, hiding like a coward. It was a good thing neither Minat nor him had any needs for pride and would proudly wear cowardice as a medal if the alternative option was death. Survival was their one and only concern.

"What's the plan, Minat? I don't want to mess with that one over there," Gizeth whispered. The boy was already very strong and the new guy was even stronger. Gizeth wiped a bead of cold sweat from his brows.

"Neither do I. We must retreat," Minat replied. "Though I doubt we could go far before they catch us."

"Shhh! He's coming," Gizeth hushed. He pressed his body deep against the soil and tightened his body. He waited for what seemed like eternity before the boy returned to the woman and the other man. Ever so quietly, Gizeth squirmed backward, using only his elbows and knees. When he deemed he was at a safe distance, he rose to his feet and immediately pressed his body against the damp bark.

"We're safe for now. So do you, oh mighty brainy Minat, think it's about time we send another?" Gizeth asked in an almost inaudible voice.

"I suppose we must. Though controlling Frieza has already proven to be difficult,"

Gizeth wanted to smack his counterpart. Seriously, had Minat listened to him in the first place, they would not be in this predicament. The woman would have been long dead and they did not have to scurry for safety like a rat running for the next rat hole. "Psst. I don't see how difficult it is. He's fighting like we command, too. I just don't see what's the damn problem!" Frustrated, Gizeth forgot to keep his voice low. He shifted a little from his hiding space to see if they had heard him. When they did not turn his way, he sighed a breath of relief.

Minat's voice was soft, almost inaudible. "For now, that is the case. I only fear—"

Gizeth cut him off. "Fear, fear, don't give me that shit. If we don't send one more out, we'll have nothing to fear since you know, we'll be dead first!" Gizeth's patience was almost on empty. If Minat denied them their only chance of survival, Gizeth would feel no guilt smashing his partner's face into a pile of ragged rocks.

"Fine, but first, get us to a safe location."

"Easier said then done."

* * *

><p>Goku lost them. Goku closed his eyes to concentrate and felt nothing. It seemed that their enemy could also suppress their ki. This would make their hunt a whole lot harder. When they found Bulma, Goku quickly sized the power level of the monster before him. Needless to say, they power output was disappointingly low. Low were their power, however, Goku knew not to underestimate the enemy. This was their territory and now they were the one who could fully utilize the element of surprise. It would be best to be on their guard.<p>

Goku glanced back at Bulma who was leaning against the tree, wiping the dampness from her face while fanning her neck with her other hand. She looked terrible. All these powders that she loved to wear so much, were stripped, revealing a layer of pale skin. Despite the weariness evident in her body, Goku was surprised she was holding up quite well. Bulma was not that little girl anymore. Maybe it was living with Vegeta and Trunks all these years, maybe it was maturity, but Bulma did an admirable job confronting her enemy. Had it been before, Bulma would have screamed, cursed, whined and probably cried her way out of a situation.

Goku moved behind Goten and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Goten. You stay here with Bulma. We can't afford to leave Bulma here by herself."

"But, I want to help you, dad! Besides, it was my fault that they escaped. It's my responsibility to bring them back."

If it was only Minat and Gizeth, Goku did not mind playing bodyguard and let Goten go for the hunt, but Goku knew better. The original game called for five players, which meant they had at least five opponents at their disposal. Excluding Frieza, they should have four more. Goku could not risk his son running around an unfamiliar territory and accidentally encountered something more than he could handle.

Goku smiled at his son and tousled his hair playfully. "You will have a chance, don't worry."

His son crossed his arms and puffed his cheeks. He thought he heard Goten grumbled something about not being fair or something like that. Goku could not help but smiled. Still a kid.

"Unfortunately, I can't instant transmit Bulma out of here just yet. I will be harder for me to return since I can't teleport straight in here."

"Alright. I understand."

"I promise we will fight together soon, alright, kiddo?"

Goten nodded, but did not seem as exciting as Goku hoped. He wondered why. Come to think of it, Goku never really fought side by side with his youngest son. The world was too peaceful for any further opportunities. Goku made a mental note to involve his youngest son more.

"I'll be back soon."

* * *

><p>Three against one and they were still having a hell of a time bringing down the despicable Frieza. To think, they actually thought they could defeat the simulated clowns on a one to one battle, Vegeta growled.<p>

Vegeta shot left and then right, avoiding all the disk-like attacks, careful not to make contacts. This was a frustrating battle, not because of Frieza's strength, though formidable, was not impossible to overcome with Gohan and Trunks in the midst. No, it was frustrating because Gohan reminded him of the damn system's safety device. Trunks was still stuck in that world. Vegeta swore, anxious to finish this fight, yet afraid to finish it carelessly.

Vegeta stole a quick glance at his son, at least the one from the future. The boy had held his own pretty well, considering they were facing an opponent far more powerful than any one of them could handle alone. Vegeta saw a slight burn to the boy's shoulder and a tear in the knee, but that was all. However, the boy looked exhausted. It seemed that the boy could not completely control the new body yet. It was only a matter of time before the body slowed down and hindered their advances.

How in the hell did his future brat come to this world anyways? Vegeta was in that world briefly and came to a conclusion that his mind was somehow transferred into a virtual world. Had reality started to merge with this fictitious world? Vegeta stole another glance. This was getting confusing and Vegeta did not like to be confused. He felt like he had lost all his control, something he had tight rein over. He did not like this one bit.

He saw a red glow coming his way and used the few standing trees as coverage and returned the favor by sending one of his own. _Shit! _Vegeta could not afford to let his mind wandered. To his right, Gohan was standing below with his both palms tugged to his side, in position to release Kakarott's signature move. Frieza did not notice and it was up to Vegeta to make sure it stayed that way.

"Frieza, is this all you got? Death had been unkind to you, I see," Vegeta taunted. Frieza smirked. His attention was now completely on Vegeta. Good.

"Oh, please. I thought I'll entertain you all a little bit longer, since it seems you all enjoy swinging, running around just like little monkeys," Frieza snickered, arm crossed, his eyes focused completely on Vegeta.

"The little monkeys destroyed you not once, but twice. Today, we'll make it three." On cue, Vegeta heard Gohan screamed. Vegeta jumped back and saw Trunks did the same. The Kamehameha shot upward into the unexpected Frieza. Vegeta supposed he was grateful that this Frieza still lacked the ability to sense ki.

Instead of an explosion, the beam missed, shooting into the vast sky. _Shit! _Without waiting, Vegeta gathered his energy to both palms and released blast after blast. Gohan returned to the battlefield, seemingly baffled that he missed, but shook it off.

Trunks was too close to Frieza. Vegeta cursed again. He warned them to keep their distance. As he feared, Frieza competently dodged all of their moves and flew toward Trunks.

"You look awfully like Vegeta, can it be true? The cold-blooded, arrogant killer actually spawned an heir? Interesting, really interesting."

Vegeta saw Trunks stepped back and smirked, displaying a cockiness that only his son could do so well. For a second, he thought he saw his boy returned. Then he realized it was not his son. The brat from the future, while annoying timid, had shown he was capable of being smug when he dealt with Frieza in the past.

"I am the descendant of the proud race of Saiyans and the heir to the prince himself, and today, this will be your grave," Trunks said as he placed one palm on Frieza's chest and quickly pumped the stored energy into Frieza. There was an explosion and Vegeta was flying now, fast. They were not far but it damn sure felt that way. Gohan was just a tad closer and faster than him.

There were smokes, lots of it. It created a veil, obstructing the view and activities from within. Suddenly, Vegeta saw someone shooting into the ground. It was not Frieza.

"Trunks!" he heard Gohan screamed.

Without thinking, Vegeta changed his course. The boy was so infuriating, past, present, future. They were all a big pain in the ass. The system did not shut down yet, so the boy was still alive and probably was not too hurt, but Vegeta could not stop his body from going to where his boy landed.

Vegeta felt Gohan's ki rose again, most likely engaged in battle with Frieza. Ignoring them for now, Vegeta descended and stood next to Trunks who was shaking his head from the collision.

He crossed his arms and stared down at the boy. His face tightened. The boy looked up and muttered an apology.

"Trunks, sit this one out," Vegeta ordered, his voice cold. He did not show it but he was relieved to see the boy relatively unharmed.

"Father, I can still fight." Trunks said, determination in his voice.

"No. It will be game over if you sustain more injuries. I will not risk my son's life on your childish insistence to continue fighting."

Vegeta saw the boy flinched and shoulders dropped in defeat. Trunks dropped his head to his chest. Vegeta knew his words were harsh and unpleasant to hear, but he meant every word. He would absolutely, under no circumstances, risk any mistakes that might prevent his son to return.

After he was satisfied that the boy would stay put, Vegeta looked up. He slowly ascended, leaving the defeated Trunks behind. Gohan was still engaged in a ping pong ki exchange with the fiend. At first, Vegeta strategized with Gohan that they best kept their distance, using only ki to attack. This way, they could easily defend while attacking Frieza from all sides. But Frieza had proven to be much speedier than Vegeta had originally thought. Frieza avoided all the attacks and even managed to land a few of his own.

Vegeta searched his mind for a change of battle plan. If only they could stop Frieza's movement for just a few seconds. Vegeta stretched his arms and connected the base of his palms, slowly summoning his power. "Final Flash!" He released his signature move toward Frieza. This time, Frieza was caught unaware. At the last second, Frieza crossed his arms in front of his face, ready to take on his attack full on. Vegeta smirked, "Don't underestimate me." The ki blast made contact and Frieza was pushed backward.

"Gohan, get your ass over here!"

Gohan levitated toward him. "Vegeta, this is not working. It's taking way too long." Gohan was a bit worn out but Vegeta could tell he was still in good shape to continue. Gohan had always neglected his training or so Vegeta thought. He knew Gohan had borrowed the simulation room from time to time, but after he married that daughter of the spineless swindlers, Vegeta hardly saw the boy dropped by. Wasted potential, Vegeta thought.

"I know. I have another plan. This Frieza is fast. We need to stop his movement for a few seconds. This is risky. It requires one of us to be within Frieza's proximity."

Gohan nodded, waiting for him to continue.

It was unlike him to praise anyone, especially out loud. Before he could stop himself, he let the words out, "I hate to admit it, but you are a bit more powerful than me." Vegeta silently cursed himself. "If you ever tell anyone I said that, I'll make sure you'll live a painful life," Vegeta threatened.

Kakarott's eldest grinned sheepishly. "I'm not that powerful, Vegeta. I've been slacking off."

"Stop it with your insincere modesty."

"Right. What do you want me to do?"

"I will be the decoy and provoke Frieza to chase me. As soon as you see an opening, I want you to lock him down."

"Why don't I be the decoy? I'm faster than you think. I can outrun him," Gohan said.

So now the kid thought he was faster than him, too. _Give them one praise and they think they're better than you._ If time was on their side, Vegeta would have given the kid a piece of his mind, but already, he could sense Frieza returning. "I'm aware of that, but can you provoke Frieza to chase you? What kind of insult will you use? Show your behind and slap it for fun? I'm sure that will work. Beside, you don't have the guts to put Frieza out."

"Okay then. I'll try my best to lock him down then."

"And make sure you hold him for long enough for me to do my job."

* * *

><p>Goku searched cautiously. He had to resort to searching the old-fashioned way, tracking footprints and their scents. Goku bent down, tracing the outline of the print. It was fresh. They were here only moments ago. Goku scanned the area. Nothing. He sighed. He had a feeling that this would be an impossible task.<p>

Goku closed his eyes to concentrate again, just in case they let their guard down. Suddenly, not far from where he stood he felt a familar ki. Goku rubbed his eyes just to make sure he was seeing what he thought he saw. Cell...Cell was materializing before him.

"Son Goku. Long time no see."

"Cell. Believe it or not, I've seen a lot of you lately," Goku grinned. This was exactly what he was waiting for. He would not lie. He had been using Cell as an opponent for most of his recent game. Though, he thought that fighting an empty soul was…well…not as exciting as fighting someone or something that could at least talk back. Those soulless opponents lacked the ability to feel pain or feel a sense of accomplishment when they win. They were more like punching bags and vice versa.

"If I remembered correctly, you and I still have a fight to finish." Cell looked around. "Where's that son of yours?"

Grinning wider, Goku said as he cracked his knuckles, "Gohan? He's busy right now. I'm more than enough to keep you entertain."

* * *

><p>Trunks watched from below, still nursing his injured pride. His father said as much. He was weak and his help was only a hindrance. He knew all that, but still, to hear it from his father was a bit devastating.<p>

His father brought something up that did not make much sense, at least not to him. How would him being injured cause harm to the present Trunks? On second thought, it was obvious now that this Vegeta was the same one he saw in the other timeline. How did he go there? With a machine? How come his counterpart was not sent back but he was? The answer was so close that Trunks could almost guessed it, but he felt he was missing some obvious information.

For almost ten minutes since he was sent to the sideline, his father managed to enrage Frieza to the point of almost backfiring. There was a few extremely close call, but his father avoided the attack, skillfully. Trunks could not wrap his mind around the difference in the two Vegeta he met on his journey. Their fighting style, while similar was also vastly different. For one, there was no way his father in the other would shout immature insults to their enemy. At first, his father tried to provoke Frieza by calling him weak, which Trunks thought was rather unconvincing. Then he proceeded to call Frieza on his sorry leadership skills. Also, how he was almost killed by Goku. With each insult, Trunks could feel Frieza's growing rage. It was not until his father started to call Frieza a papa's boy that caused Frieza to finally snap. Trunks mused. He guessed even the greatest of warriors have a sensitive spot.

Trunks could also tell the difference on how they chose to fight. Vegeta of the past enjoyed solitude in almost anything and that included battles. This Vegeta, however, relied on his comrade for assistance. It was no longer a one man show. He also seemed to care less about having a lower position in battle. A decoy was normally reserved for foot soldiers, the lowest of rank, pawns to be sacrifice. At least that was what the book of 'ART OF BATTLE' wrote.

The last thing was this Vegeta openly admitted he was not the best. It was the most intriguing side of Vegeta, a side Trunks did not know he was capable of. Sadly, his mother from his own timeline would never have a chance to meet this man. This man who was completely devoted to his family, with friends and comrades he could trust and even better, that trust was mutual. Trunks envied Trunks from this timeline, but he was also content with the fact that his father could overcome his Saiyan's blood and became just a simple human.

Trunks heard a shout. "Now, Vegeta!"

Gohan had successfully locked his arms around Frieza's arms and his legs wrapped around the fiend's legs, securing him in a stick position. Gohan increased his hold over him by powering up some more. Trunks noticed that no matter how much Gohan powered up, he did not turn Super Saiyan. His power, though, had surpassed that of his father and maybe even Goku.

Squinting, Trunks saw Vegeta with a golden serrated ki glowing from his right hand, reminding him of a sword with crooked teeth running along the edge. His father shot forward to where Gohan and Frieza were, speeding up as he neared them.

Frieza struggled to release the tight hold Gohan had on him, but to no avail. "Hurry, Vegeta!"

"Hold it!"

"What do you think you're doing?" Trunks could tell Frieza was about the panic. His hand squirmed frantically as he tried to summon his red ki to his palm.

It all happened so fast. Trunks was afraid to blink, thinking he might miss some crucial parts. Vegeta arrived and stopped just inches away from Frieza's face. He stared into Frieza's eyes and with the first show of malice, Vegeta sneered and said with a low growl. "I have been waiting for this moment my whole life. Go to hell!" With that, Vegeta positioned his serrated ki between Frieza's legs and started upward, going through his body and out his head. With another swipe, Vegeta cut through the fallen pieces with speed so fast, Trunks wondered he was just seeing movements. It reminded Trunks of the time he used the same method on Frieza. Trunks' eyes widened with realization. A version of him was here almost eleven years ago and his father remembered. Trunks smiled. The previous harsh words from his father forgotten.

* * *

><p>Gizeth felt an explosion within his body. It was a strange feeling, one that he could not explain. He felt energized, like a rush of incredible power invaded his body. "What's this? Do you feel it, Minat?"<p>

"Yes," Minat said promptly, sounding not too excited.

Gizeth created a fist and reopen it, feeling zaps of electricity current running through his arm into the tip of his fingers. He raised one hand and released a red ki blast. "This is amazing!"

"I wonder."

"You don't sound too happy, Minat." Gizeth was getting fed up with Minat and his cryptic talk and melancholy attitude. Pessimist to the end. Why couldn't he enjoy one a moment of victory? To Gizeth, gaining power unexpectedly was enough to celebrate. They managed to flee undetected, another reason to celebrate. All Minat did was brood, worry and bring down his mood. Gizeth felt his frustration returned. He wondered if he killed his partner, would Minat's head rot? It might smell over time for sure, but Gizeth could definitely deal with it.

"I am not fond of things I do not understand, and this power is a mystery to me."

He was seriously entertaining the idea of right now. He could just drag a dead head around. It would be so much better than listening to Minat's miserable voice. "Who the hell cares? This…" he said as he powered up. "Minat, is our ticket to freedom."

"Gizeth, if I assume correctly, this power came from none other than Frieza. Can you sense him now?

Humoring Minat, he tried to sense Frieza but nothing. He frowned. He handpicked Frieza since he found the little lizard to be quite entertaining with his sarcastic and arrogant attitude. And Frieza was no weakling. Gizeth had underestimated their strength. Should have sent level 5 instead? Gizeth cursed. "He must be defeated."

"My point exactly. Even if you have the same power, it still could not overpower our enemies."

"Yeah, yeah," Suddenly Gizeth's eyes widened. "Do you think? Do you think that we have the ability to collect the power of those defeated?" It finally clicked, surprised at himself for even coming to this conclusion. That must be it.

Minat hesitated, then finally said, "Most likely."

"Let send them all out. Make sure they all get defeated. Can you imagine how strong we can get?" This was the first good news since they left their prison.

"No, as I said before, I cannot control all of them at once. They fight now on our command because they have a target. They want to fight them. Rather they could be defeated or not is not up to us. Imagine if all our enemies are killed. Will they turn on us?"

Gizeth gritted his teeth. He wondered why he even bother listening to Minat. "Then, oh brainy Minat, what do YOU want us to do now?"

"I suggest we continue to make our escape before they find us."

Minat always thought he was the smart one, but Gizeth seriously wondered if Minat's self-proclaimed intelligence was just a facade to keep himself alive. He probably knew Gizeth would not think twice in killing him had it not been for Minat's so called master plan. But Gizeth was intrigued on this definition of escaping and so he asked, "Escape? What do you mean?"

"I mean leave this room, this house and into the real world."

"Are you nuts? How? Just walk right out?"

"Yes. Tysfia had infiltrated most if not all the wireless connections and computers in this city. Since this city has wireless connections outdoor, our boundary has now extended to most of the metropolitan area," Minat said.

Of course! Wireless! Computers! How could he not thought of it! Gizeth rolled his eyes, annoyed at more of Minat's cryptic talk. "You lost me," he grumbled.

"In simple terms, we can walk out of this compound right now," Minat said.

"Where's the exit?" Gizeth asked, finally, Minat actually said something useful. Okay, he can live for now. It's too cumbersome to drag his dead head around anyways. But eventually he would...Gizeth smirked.

* * *

><p>Goku felt it, the exhilaration from the heat of battle, where they were the only one who mattered, a world where two warriors joined together in a battle to the death. Cell had always been his favorite living opponents. Cell was the only one who understood the true meaning of strengths, seeking only to become stronger. He had the Saiyan's thirst for battles and many skills from the cells of all the different warriors, which made sparring with him so much fun.<p>

At the moment, Goku was in a defensive stance, waiting for Cell to make the move. Goku saw a light twitch in his lower right leg and instinctively, Goku raised his right arm and shielded his face. Just as he suspected, Cell's right leg landed in his waiting arm. Goku grabbed Cell's leg and swung him around, using his head as an axe, chopping all the trees from the base. He saw Cell lifted his head while still in a spinning motion and when Goku saw the yellow beam from his eyes, Goku let go. Just in a nick of time or else, his shoulder would spot a hole the size of a tennis ball.

"I see you have grown stronger since our last encounter, but so have I," Cell said, while still suspended in mid-air, sideway, with his arm crossed against his chest.

"I have more tricks and I'll be glad to show you all," Goku grinned, completely forgotten about his waiting family and friends.

"I am waiting."

* * *

><p>Gohan pulled his torn sweater away from his body and dropped it on a nearby patch of mushrooms. He wiped the sweat that was dripping from his forehead. Fighting with a handicap was extremely strenuous. Not only did he have to calculate every move but he also have to ensure he executed it with precision. Gohan blew out a breath of air, relieved that it was finally over.<p>

He walked over to Vegeta, who looked just as tired, but masked with beautifully with a scowl on his face. Trunks walked up to them and congratulate them on the victory. Gohan thought it was a little too early to celebrate.

"Vegeta, let's go find my dad."

"Hmph. I don't sense him near Bulma, only Goten. Is this his idea of bodyguard duty?" Vegeta shot Gohan a glare.

"I'm sure he has his reason," Gohan responded, though he agreed that his dad was irresponsible for leaving Bulma with Goten. Goten was strong, but he had not fight battles on his own before. He always had Trunks beside him. With these simulated, powerful enemies running around, it was not wise to leave a kid with a very pregnant woman.

Gohan felt a surge of two ki, one definitely from his dad and the other one. Gohan groaned. No doubt about it. Cell.

"And I think I know exactly why. Imbecile!" Vegeta growled. And Gohan groaned some more. Only Trunks looked confused.

"Vegeta, I'm going to find my dad. You should go to Bulma with Trunks. Knowing my dad, I don't think he thought of the handicap. It will be disastrous if he starts fighting."

Gohan knew Vegeta was pissed, but the man knew exactly where his priorities were. "Very well. As soon as I find Bulma, I'll meet up with you. Until then, restraint your idiotic father from getting too hurt or he will have to answer to me," He said, grudgingly.

"Got it," Gohan said, getting ready to lift off. He looked at Trunks, finding the visitor more and more mysterious. He smiled and waved, "Trunks, I'll see you later. We should talk later."

Trunks nodded and Gohan was gone.

* * *

><p>Goku massaged his chest and slowly run his thumb down to the side. Three broken ribs. Not too bad. Goku's eyes followed Cell every movement, swaying left to right and back to left. Cell did not look much better. Goku could see the number of bruises on the face, in the chest area and even on his limbs. Goku even managed to rip an arm from Cell at one point but had totally forgotten that Cell has regeneration capability.<p>

"Cell. I know you're holding back. Warm up is over. What do you say we fight with our full potential?"

Not moving an inch, Cell replied with a slight bow. "After you."

"Alright. Don't blink."

Goku crouched over and pulled his fists to his side and let out a deafening scream. The fallen leaves lifted into the air and were cut in half by the sheer energy emitting from Goku. His golden hair spiked backward. His mane lengthen, extending a layer of golden threads after another until it past his waist.

Before he could finish his transformation, he saw Cell from the corner of his eyes.

Cell was frowning as he whispered, "Son Goku, I was just ordered to destroy you. As much as I love to continue this fight, I cannot disobey my master. See you in the next life."

Goku tried to block it, but it was too late. He felt a burning sensation to his side and then his whole arms felt like it was ripped from his body. "Damn!"

"Player has sustained 50% damage… System disengaging in five…four..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Do you think I killed off Frieza a bit too easily and what about the fight between Cell and Goku? Too short? There will be more fighting in the future chapters so if you think I should add more details, let me know now!

Well, thanks for reading and please let me know what you think, the good and the bad!


	14. Chapter 13 Insanity and Jealousy

**A/N: **Thank you StuffedTiger, johncorn and KimiruMai for your review! You don't understand how much I appreciate it! Thank you to all the anonymous reader out there!

* * *

><p><strong>Game of Life<strong>

**Chapter 13 – Insanity and Jealousy**

* * *

><p>"Let me go now! I'm going kill that fucking idiot!"<p>

It was near impossible to stop Vegeta from reaching Goku. Goten was sprawled on the hardwood floor with two hands secured around both of Vegeta's ankles. Gohan had his arms wrapped around Vegeta's chest and Trunks was pushing Vegeta back from the front with his shoulder. If the situation was not so serious, Bulma almost found the scene comical.

Vegeta had every right to lash out. Goku was reckless. He lacked good judgment. And above all, he was a complete idiot who had gambled with her son's life. While everyone had Vegeta occupied, Bulma walked up to Goku. When she reached him, she raised her head so the big man could see her dangerous slit eyes. The man gulped and stepped back involuntarily. Turning around, she looked at Vegeta and flashed him a smirk. "Don't worry, Vegeta. I'll kill this idiot for you."

"No, Bulma!" She heard Gohan screamed.

Bulma raised her knee and sent it right to the groin. No easy feat for a woman who could barely lift her feet off the floor, but she was a determined woman. She pounced on the fallen Goku, who was holding his injured spot protectively while twisting and convulsing in excruciating pain. There was no man in the world or universe, Saiyan or human, who could endure this punishment.

"Ugh…"

She grabbed the neckline of Goku's gi with both hands and lifted him inches off the floor, shaking him so hard that his head slammed against the hard floor again and again. "Give me back my son!"

"Bulma, stop," said a voice, her husband's voice, the voice she least expected. Bulma stopped and let go of the fabric, dropping Goku's head back on the floor. _Trunks…Could he be? _No. She knew he was alive. He had to be. His body was still moving. That must mean something. _Get yourself together, Bulma. _Bulma felt hands on the side of her arms and then a light tuck upward. She got back on her feet with Vegeta's support. She shot Goku another murderous glare.

"Bulma, I'm sorry, I had no idea," Goku groaned. Gohan and Goten helped him up to a standing position.

"Of course you didn't. When did you ever have an idea? Do you ever think of the consequences? Of course not!"

Vegeta let go of her arms and crossed his, his back facing Goku. "Kakarott, we can do this the easy or the hard way," said Vegeta through his gritted teeth. Vegeta had calmed, though his quiet, collective demeanor was even more petrifying than when he was furious.

"I...I..." Goku stuttered while rubbing the base of his neck.

Vegeta scowled deeper as he repeated his threat. "Kakarott, before I lose my control, you better get lost." Bulma sensed Vegeta's quiet rage. She saw his muscle twitching around the cheek. Had she not step in, she wondered if Vegeta would really kill Goku.

"Goku, do as he says. We all need to calm down and you being here does not help."

"Bulma, Vegeta, I'm very sorry. I just—"

Bulma felt a current of air swept by and then a thunderous bang. She turned to the source of the noise and saw Vegeta pinned Goku to a wall outside the kitchen. His forearm pressed deep into Goku's windpipe. It had been a long time since Bulma saw an animalistic snarl and wild eyes from her husband. "Sorry? Sorry? You killed my son, not once, but twice! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't blow your goddamn head away." Vegeta snarled, pressing his arms deeper and deeper until Goku's eyes started to pop from his head.

Bulma saw Gohan, Goten and Trunks tried to pry his arms away, screaming for Vegeta to stop, but Vegeta would not budge. Instead, they were blown back by some invisible force.

"That's enough, Vegeta. Trunks is alive. I know he is. I can feel it. Let Goku go," Bulma said. She sounded tired. She felt drained. Once the adrenaline disappeared, she was left no gas to run her heavy body. "Please."

It must be her final plead. Vegeta grunted and grabbed Goku by the throat and threw him across the room, into the dining area, onto the dining table. The set of dishes that was used for display shattered on the ground as the table snapped in half. "Get out, now!"

Gohan and Goten rushed to their father's side and helped the very distraught Goku up again. When Goku tried to open his mouth, Gohan hushed him. "Dad, you better leave." Bulma heard him whispered.

Goku nodded, looking defeated. He put his fingers on his forehead. She saw Gohan let go of Goku. "I'm staying, Dad, I'm sure I can help them out somehow," Gohan said, turning to Bulma for approval.

She nodded. He then turned to Goten and said, "Goten, go with dad." When Goten was about to object, he bent down, closing the distance between them, and whispered in his ear, "Goten, I know you want to help Trunks, but dad needs your help, too. Go with him. Take care of him."

The younger Saiyan hesitated, pouted a little and finally nodded. Goku reached out his hand. Goten grabbed it. Before disappearing, he muttered another apology.

* * *

><p>Guilt. Goku had not felt this guilty for a long time. They had told him a day ago about the handicap. He knew about it. It had always been part of the simulation room. He should have remembered it. They had warned him. Why else did Bulma risked staying in her house to fix it when the threat was only a few doors away?<p>

He massaged his throat. _You killed my son, not once, but twice! _Vegeta still held Goku responsible for the time he saved Satan over their sons. It had been a conscious choice he made at that time. Saving the world had always been his priority. What about his family? If there were no dragon balls, would he be so quick in saving the world over his family? Until that time comes, Goku was unsure of what the answer would be. Vegeta, on the other hand, had made it clear that his family would always be first.

The first time Vegeta came to earth, the short Saiyan had only one goal on his mind, the dragon balls. He had no conscience when it came to killing. His comrades, allies, enemies, they were all the same to him…dispensable, a mean to an end. But now, more than seventeen years later, Vegeta had changed, completely. He became a better man, a better husband and most of all, a better father.

Regardless of whether who was the better husband or father, Goku had allowed his hunger for a good battle overshadowed his real goal, his common sense. He had no excuses. Even if everyone could forgive him this time, Goku could not forgive himself. He realized just how selfish he behaved. He let out a heavy sigh. "Goten," he glanced down at his youngest son, "I really messed up, didn't I?"

His boy shrugged, unsure of how to answer.

"I'll fix this somehow…"

* * *

><p>Gohan was shocked at Vegeta's reaction, though he really should not. Vegeta did warn him what he would do if his dad did manage to shut off the system.<p>

He had been a little too late to stop his father. When he arrived, he had seen Cell shot his father with his father's signature move at a very close distance and then the system counted down. Cell had disappeared as soon the forest faded away, leaving his unconscious dad laying face down in one of Bulma's guest room. The left side of his body burned and bloods rushed profusely out an open wound on his left arm. Thankfully, Gohan had taken some of the senzu beans from Piccolo. Had he not, his father could have been in a much worse shape. He wondered what happened to Minat and Gizeth. He could not sense them nor could he sense Cell anymore. He wondered if he should have taken a trip into the simulation room just to ensure there were no other mishaps, but thought he best rejoin the group first.

The house was back to normal as if the forest was not there to begin with. The four of them had entered through the front door and two ended up in the guest room while the rest was in the kitchen. The program not only expanded from the room to the rest of the house, but also caused spatial anomaly. Gohan headed toward Bulma, who was on the left side of the kitchen's island. Vegeta stood behind the island between the sink and the refrigerator, still looking extremely pissed. The scowl on his face never left. Trunks was by Bulma side. Gohan sidestepped, avoiding the shattered dining wares. He scanned the house as he continued his way to the kitchen. Aside from the damages caused by Vegeta, the house was left relatively intact. The battle they fought was intense and Gohan had let loose some powerful attack, yet, the house did not seem scarred at all.

"Trunks, are you sure you're okay?" he heard Bulma said. She was still examining him, checking for wounds everywhere, from head to toe, inside and out.

"Yes, mother, I'm feeling fine. Just a few superficial wounds from the battle, but nothing life threatening," Trunks replied, seemingly confused of all the attention he was getting.

"Mother…" Bulma repeated, her face fell, but was quickly replaced by a forced smile. Gohan could only imagine what was going through her head. Their Trunks was not back. His whereabout was unknown and they have no way of knowing if he was still…Gohan pushed the thought away. What Minat and Gizeth had said before could be a bluff.

"Bulma, Vegeta, I've been thinking. Before we came here, the hospital Trunks stayed was invaded by malfunctioned machines. Piccolo told us that the whole city was the same." Deciding to give Vegeta, Bulma and Trunks some space, he selected a free wall not far from the island to lean on and positioned his imaginary eyeglass in place. "It can't be a coincidence. It has to be connected to the recent event." He paused, checking to see everyone's reaction. They were listening quietly, taking in the details in silence. Gohan continued, "And at the hospital, we felt Frieza's ki and Goten confirmed he felt Minat and Gizeth's ki as well."

"What are you trying to say, boy?" Vegeta demanded, finally speaking up for the first time after his father disappeared. His rage was still very much alive, but Gohan could tell beside anger he felt from the prince, there were also a mixture of impatience and maybe even a hint of worry. As the short Saiyan glared at Gohan, he felt the man could cut him to pieces as he did to Frieza not so long ago.

It was only a speculation and he had no evidences to back it up, but perhaps with Bulma's knowledge of the system, they might come up with a possible solution. "If the city is still in chaos, then maybe, just maybe, there's a chance Trunks might still be alive."

Bulma let go out Trunks momentarily, thought for a few seconds, eyes dancing as she evaluated what he was really saying. Suddenly, she lit up. "Gohan! You're a freaking genius!" She surprised Trunks by swinging her arms around him, gave him a big smack on the cheek and proceed to hug him again, causing the poor teenager to turn every shades of red. Bulma let go of him when Trunks began to squirm, but her arms still on his shoulder. She held him at arm length. Gohan could tell Trunks was about to say something but Bulma cut him off. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but thanks Dende for the virus!" Looking at Trunks, she exclaimed, "I can kiss you again!"

Trunks squirmed free, ready to dodge if he had to. "Mother, please, not again!"

Bulma laughed and apologized. She was finally in a better mood.

However, Gohan raised an eyebrow at her deduction. This was the first time he heard of the virus. Gohan was not as knowledgeable about computer technology as Bulma but he learned a thing or two in his studies. A computer virus could attack a system by emails, websites and other means. It was all starting to make sense.

"Where did this virus come from?"

Bulma's skin turned pale. She groaned when said hesitantly said, "Trunks, our Trunks. Not only that, I think it was the virus who had created Minat and Gizeth. I don't know how yet, but judging from the timeline, Trunks accidentally wrote the codes a few weeks ago. After that Vegeta noticed his files acting weird and then this."

Although this sounded like a disaster, which it was, but if…Gohan glanced at Trunks who was still being coddled by Bulma. "Bulma, so if the virus survived outside your system —"

"Then there is a chance the system is not completely shut down!" Bulma finished his sentence. "Trunks is still alive!"

* * *

><p>Gone.<p>

Trunks sat cross-legged with his hands clenched on his pant so tight, he almost tore it apart. His face buried deep between his parted knees.

The attack. He never meant to hurt anyone...it just flew out of his hand...and his dad was caught right in the middle. Did his dad survive? Of course he did. Just some minor attack would not faze his dad…but then where was he?

Why did his dad leave him here?

_Because of what you did._

'I didn't mean it! I swear that it wasn't intentional!'

_But your father thought it was…why else did he leave you behind?_

'Something must have happened to him!'

_Kids. Always lying to themselves. Vegeta left you because of what you did to the other Trunks. That is the truth._

'But he saved me!'

_And then he realized the monster you became._

"Shut up! Shut up!" Trunks shook his head violently as if that could stop the voice. The voice did stop only to be replaced by another.

"Boy, you have some potential. I see you have the animal instincts to kill, a true Saiyan," Vegeta laughed. His dad…no…this Vegeta was not his dad. He refused to look up, afraid to look at the splitting image of his dad.

Trunks pulled his tangled hair down to cover his ears and buried his face deeper between his knees, attempting to shut out the world around him. _He can be your father, you know. At least he chooses you over the one from the future. _

"After all, you have my royal blood running through you," Vegeta said, letting out another round of laughter.

Vegeta continued with his monologue while Trunks tried hard to drown him out. "What do you say? I can become the ruler of the universe and you, my boy, can be my right hand man! We'll start an empire."

"Leave me alone!" Trunks cried out. "I have nothing to do with you! I'm not like you! I don't kill!"

Vegeta roared, his laughter intensified. The unknown voice echoed the same laugh, roaring just as loud. "Don't kill?" _Don't kill?_

"Shut…" Trunks said through his tightly clenched teeth. He felt the energy bubbling from his chest. He tried hard to push it away. He did not want to lose control again.

_See? You can't help yourself. You're a Saiyan, a bloodthirsty Saiyan. Vegeta saw right through you. He knew. He knew what you're capable of. He doesn't want you around his unborn daughter. _

Trunks had enough. He wanted them to go away. He let the suppressed energy loose.

It exploded.

He exploded.

Trunks remembered screaming, roaring, snarling, howling and many other sound that could not have belonged to him. He remembered releasing point blank waves after waves of ki blast into Vegeta's frozen, stun face. He remembered holding Vegeta in a deadlock, his arms around Vegeta's neck. He remembered the taste of blood when he bit into the man's flesh. He remembered being yanked and last of all, he remembered hearing a snapping sound.

He did not remember how he got here.

It did not matter. The voices were gone. He was now all alone. He felt his body shivering. He looped his arms around his legs and pulled them against his chest. He started to rock. "This is all a dream."

* * *

><p>Vegeta let out a soft sigh of relief without anyone noticing. The chance was slim, but at least there was one.<p>

His eyes were now fixed on Trunks. Since the boy was wearing such a childish T-shirt, the one with a shadowed flame-hair figure kicking another shadowed image of a spiked-haired man, it was hard to imagine that he was from the future. The boy finally escaped the wrath of Bulma's hormonal attack and sat by the staircase leading up to the sleeping quarter. He sat quietly, darting back and forth between Bulma and the despicable, third-class, no good, son of a bitch's brat. Just thinking of that idiot made his bloods boiled. Vegeta crushed his teeth together to keep his temper in check. He would deal him later.

The future brat looked confused as he should be. If only the brat knew who he really was. Vegeta let out a low growl. It was not his responsibility to tell the kid. He tore his eyes from the brat and refocused his attention on the two who were still talking nonsense about some damn bugs. He did not want to hear more problems. He wanted solutions and he wanted them now.

"But how do we get Trunks out? I can spend more time looking through the codes. There got to be something I missed before. I mean I didn't focus on the virus," Bulma said as she paced from the kitchen's island back to the now damaged dining area and back again. Vegeta picked up the tension in her voice and another layer of weariness behind it. She was trying to hide it, but nothing escaped his keen sense.

"You said Giddymouse knew about the virus, right? Maybe he knows more. Maybe you need to ask him specifically about Trunks," Gohan said, eyes following Bulma's movement.

Bulma stopped pacing. She turned to the brat and stared at him as if he got three heads. "How come I didn't think of that? Gohan, you're a genius!"

Maybe not three heads, but definitely three brains.

"We have to start up the system again!" his woman said, ready to head down the direction leading to hallway into the wretched room.

He had enough of this bullshit. "You will do no such thing!" he growled. His woman stopped in her track. "Damn woman! It seemed you almost forgot you were this close to having your life snuffed out of you!" To make his point loud and clear, his parted his fingers and snapped it closed.

"Vegeta is right, Bulma. It's too dangerous and you looked terrible," Gohan said. At least the boy had some sense unlike his dimwit bastard of a father.

"Mother, I agree with Gohan and father. I don't know much of what's going on, but—" Trunks once again got cut off. The boy needed to learn some assertiveness, perhaps, Vegeta could teach him a thing or two through sparring. Vegeta scowled. _He's not your son! Do not concern yourself with him or you'll regret it! _He reminded himself.

"But I'm not tired. I can still go on. Trunks is waiting for me!"

That stubborn, little infuriating woman. He pushed himself off the sink counter and appeared right behind her, tapping her at the base of the neck. Before she dropped to the floor, he scooped her up beneath her knees and shoulders. Her head slid against his chest. He did not care that everyone was staring, especially Trunks, who probably find his action uncharacteristic. He did not care. All he cared about right now was his woman, the one who was about to pass out but stubborn enough not to.

Even if the house was back to normal, Vegeta did not trust it, especially now that Bulma was knocked out. They needed to relocate, but where? He refused to go to that idiot's house and the whole city might still be infested.

"Gohan," Vegeta said, looking slightly agitated. He hated the fact he was not in control and the fact he had to depend on others. He had no choice. "I need a place for Bulma to rest. Not in the city and definitely not with that father of yours." He stressed the last condition to make sure the brat heard him well.

"We can use the Lookout. Dende should be there and he'll let us stay for a bit," Gohan said.

Vegeta nodded and started toward the exit, tramping across all the debris, with Bulma securely in his arms. From the corner of his eye, he saw a red blinking light. How did that get there? It should have been in the lab. For some reason, he felt compelled to bring it along. "Trunks, take that laptop. Your mother might need it."

Trunks followed his gaze to the pile of broken furniture's and walked over. He bent down and threw the books aside then picked up the flat silver box. He flipped it back and forth. "This?"

"Yes. Bring it." Vegeta said and then stepped out and exited.

* * *

><p>It was quiet. The wind was gentle, picking up strands of his hair and blowing it southward. How long had he been here? Trunks wondered. He released his arms around his thighs. His hands…it felt sticky. He opened his palms and stared. It was red. Why was it red? He couldn't remember.<p>

"Master Trunks!"

No. Voices again. He covered his ears and clamped his eyes shut. "Go away!"

"Master Trunks!"

He recognized this voice, the squeaky, annoying voice he always made fun of.

"Master Trunks!"

"Giddymouse…?"

Trunks was shocked. That was the icon his mother installed in their home computer. What was he doing here? He opened his eyes and searched for the source of the voice. Sure enough, he saw a pink little rodent flying around. Did his mom send the rodent to rescue him? Trunks stared at his palm again. Red. He brought it to his face and sniffed. Blood. Was it his? He licked his parched lips, grimacing when his tongue picked up a dried substance. It melted in his mouth and tasted like metal. He did not want to think what it was.

_Killer!_

The voice again. No! He did not kill anyone!

"Master Trunks!"

He just wanted to go home. He just wanted to see his mom and dad again. Trunks released his hands around his ears. "Giddymouse!" He cried out as he sprang up, feeling a little wobbly from the sudden recirculation of his bloods running through his sleeping and still injured legs. Too excited to care, he waved his hands, flagging the rodent's attention.

"Master Trunks! I found you at last!" The rodent said as he descended to where Trunks was.

Trunks thought something was wrong in the way this rodent was speaking. Normally, the rodent would use more technical terms when talking and his speech more robotic. But this one sounded a little too human. "Giddymouse, what are you doing here?"

"To save you, Master Trunks," the rodent said as if it was the most obvious answer.

This was the first good news he heard. He brightened. For the first time, he felt something else beside fear, insanity, abandonment, helplessness and many other ill-feelings he did not have time to list. He felt he really had a chance to escape. His mom was the smartest and greatest in the world. If anyone could save him, it was her. He wanted to hug the pink little round ball and give him the biggest kiss.

"But I can't do it now."

Trunks' face dropped to the bottomless pit. He thought he could leave this dreaded place. Trunks glanced around. Whatever happened to Vegeta? This was not the place he first arrived at. He was no longer surrounded by mountainous ranges; instead, he was out in the open desert. As far as his eyes could see, there were only sands. How did he get here?

_Killer!_

No! He did not kill anyone! But as he said the words, he once again, stared at his palms. Where's Vegeta?

"Master Trunks?" The rodent blinked while staring in his face, cocked his head to a side and blinked again.

"Did my mom send you?"

"Yes. She's now working on how to get you out, but thought you want some company," the mouse said, smiling and batting his insanely large eyes.

Again, the mouse sounded too human. _Stop it, Trunks! Stop being suspicious of everything. Mom's going to get you out and you'll be home in no time._

_He's lying, you know. Your mom has no intention of saving you since you're a killer and all. She sent this little rodent so he could make sure you stay in here forever._

"That's not true!"

"What's not true?"

_I'm talking to myself. I'm going crazy!_

"Master Trunks? Do you want to see the real world?"

"You mean my world? You mean I can communicate with my mom and dad?" Anything was better than being alone. The voice was getting on his nerve and he did not know how to get rid of it.

"Yes and no."

"Giddymouse, please, I'm not in the mood for guessing game," Trunks pleaded.

"It's a one way connection. You can see them but they can't see you, at least not yet. Master Bulma is working on connecting on her side," the rodent explained.

Once again, his hope was crushed. But he could see them. That was better than nothing right?

_Are you sure you want to see them? Maybe this little rodent is lying. Maybe your mother and father saw everything you did. Maybe they just want to give you a message. Telling you they don't want you._

"No! Go away! I didn't do anything! And my mom will never leave me alone!"

_Suit yourself. _

"Master Trunks?"

Despite the late afternoon sun spreading its hot and deadly ray, Trunks' lips were quivering, his hands shaking. Was the voice right? What if everyone was really glad he disappeared?

There was a beep and an image appeared in midair. It was fuzzy but Trunks had no problem making out the picture. He wanted to shut his eyes. He did not want to see. But half of him did. Deep down, there was a part of him that knew his parents loved him, cared about him. There was no way they would leave him here alone.

He did not turn away or closed his eyes. He continued to watch as the image became clearer. Trunks saw his dad and beside his dad was him. Trunks saw himself moving, flying alongside his dad. That must be the past. There was no way he could be out there now. "Father," he heard himself said.

"Whoooo...is..that?" Trunks asked pointing at the kid with the lavender hair, wearing one of his favorite T-shirt. It could not be the past. He never once in his life called his dad, father.

"That's Trunks, the one from the future. The one you fought with."

Another image replaced the one he just saw. He saw his mother wrapping her hand around that imposter, tousling his hair, kissing him. The imposter was smiling, enjoying the attention he was getting from 'his' mom. Trunks felt hatred returned, burning his very soul. The hatred was directed at one person and one person only. Why would his mother want him to see this? Was she trying to say something?

_Ha! Told you! You're not wanted. The other Trunks fits right in. He got your body. He got your life. _

Had Trunks paid attention, he could have heard the later part of the conversation, which was focused on bringing him home. But his head was so muddled with anger and hatred. So much so that he could only focus on one image. Future Trunks.

Had he paid attention, he would have seen the little rodent, grinning with evil intention. But he had not. He was drowning in jealousy. It was all Future Trunks' fault and he must pay one way or another.

The voice roared.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Okay, this fic is turning darker and darker. How am I ever going to get Trunks out of this hell hole? And poor Goten, everyone keeps on pushing him to the side, including the author! Without Trunks, he's just overshadowed by all the big personalities. I should really give him a bigger role...

As always, thanks for reading and please let me know what you think! Next up: More Trunks drama (the one from the future ^_^)


	15. Chapter 14 Truth about Trunks

**A/N: **Thanks to fio, johncorn and KimiruMai for your reviews on the last chapter! Also, thanks to all the readers out there!

* * *

><p><strong>Game of Life<strong>

**Chapter 14 -Truth about Trunks**

* * *

><p><em>Not real. <em>He was not real. Just some data. Memories stored in a computer.

The thoughts repeated and repeated until they consumed him. He was a just a lie.

"Trunks, are you okay?" Gohan asked. Trunks cracked open his eyes and saw Gohan's concern look through strands of his hair. He did not realize he was trembling. He did not realize he was squeezing the laptop tightly against his chest. If he was not real, why did he have all these emotions? He felt real. He had all the memories as Trunks, the boy from the future, the one who brought dire news of the destructive androids to the warriors of the past. No. Those were not his memories. Those memories were given to him by someone from this world. It all made perfect sense now. How he could remember events yet when he summoned the details, they had all been a blur.

"Trunks?"

Why was he here? Who was he? Did he even have a name?

He felt his father's intense, scrutinizing stare burning through his skin. His father had known all along. Trunks squeezed his eyes shut, wishing all this to be a dream. Well, he was a dream, wasn't he?

"Let him be." He heard his father said in his usual rough, deep voice. His father. Vegeta was not his father. He had no father or mother. He was just some data.

"But, Vegeta. If what you said was true, then that means Trunks here is…"

"He's not real," Vegeta said bluntly.

A chill ran down his spine. He felt like running, but his feet felt like ice mountains, frozen in place.

"It's just speculation on our part, we don't know for sure." He heard Gohan said. Gohan was just being nice. With all the evidence blatantly laid out in front of them, there was no other explanation. Even he knew that and he was the one hoping for a different outcome.

"Then tell me, what do you think he is?"

There was silence and then footsteps treading back and forth, followed by a sigh. "I can't. Even so, Trunks here has pieces of our memories, which should make him real enough. I don't think making him feel worse than he's already feeling is going to solve anything." He heard footsteps approaching him, then felt a pat on his back and a light squeeze on his shoulder.

"Trunks, you're our friend, no matter what."

"Hmph."

"Trunks…" Gohan sighed, squeezing his shoulder with a little more force.

"I'm okay. I just need sometime alone," he finally said. His feet still felt heavy, but now, he was able to will it to move. He took one step and felt himself staggered. He might be a fake, but he still had the Saiyans' mind and their pride. He could not, would not make a fool out of himself. He steadied his stance and put one foot before another. He did not know where it would take him, but anywhere was better than here.

"Well, don't think too much. We'll straighten this out," he heard Gohan called out.

When they did, what would happen to him? Would he simply disappear? That was a terrifying thought, a thought that sent another chill down his spine.

* * *

><p><em>"Are you sure?" <em>

_"Vegeta and Gohan said it's a possibility. They want you to take a look around the city."_

_"What's their plan?"_

_"I don't know yet."_

_"Alright, I'll take a look. Let me know if you know find out anything else."_

_"Same to you."_

Uncrossing his arms, he walked over to the brooding Goku, who seemed to have a dark cloud hanging over his head.

"Goku, Goten, let's go," Piccolo instructed.

"Where are we going?" The younger Saiyan asked as he leaped off the chair, seemingly excited to leave the house.

Piccolo could not blame him. They had been waiting the last three hours for instructions from Gohan, and those three hours had not been pleasant, maybe even painful, when all he heard was sighing from the typically cheerful Goku and the constant shrieking from his wife and endless pacing from Satan's daughter. Painful was too nice of an adjective. Torturous was probably closer to how he was currently feeling. Had he not have the tolerance to endure such madness, he would have flown away and never to return.

"Back to the city," he finally replied.

The boy was right behind him while Goku continued to brood and sigh. In all the past battles, whenever Goku showed up, they all knew they would somehow be saved. No matter how impossible the situation had been, they had always depended on Goku to magically fixe everything, which he did, countless time. Not this time. Piccolo snickered. It was comforting to know that Goku was also vulnerable to mistakes, much like the rest of them.

Just when he was about to walk toward the door, Satan's daughter blocked him. She stood tall, well, as tall as she could stretch herself and her hands were firmly placed on her hips, glaring up at him. She resembled Chichi a great deal at the moment. Piccolo never understood these woman Earthlings, always so demanding, yet they possessed absolutely no strengths. The three greatest and fiercest Saiyans all fell prey to these weak souls, yes, even the arrogant Vegeta. It was baffling to say the least. It was a blessing that Namek-jins did not need these flimsy and unstable creatures to reproduce.

"What do you want?" Piccolo grunted.

"Take me with you."

"No."

"Fine."

He raised an eyebrow. Well, this was unexpected. He thought the girl would put up more of a fight. He waited for Videl to move aside, but realized soon enough she had no intention to do so.

"I'll go myself. If anything happens to me, it will be all your fault. I'm sure Gohan will be thrilled that his teacher fails to protect his lovely wife," Videl said as she stepped aside, giving him free passage to the exit.

Damn these unreasonable good for nothing troublemakers. Sure, he could leave her behind, but knowing the temper of the short hair— what did they call her type? Oh yes, tomboy, she would make good with her threats. Damn, once again he was left with babysitting duties.

"Listen, I'm not going to baby you like Gohan. You fall behind, I'll leave you behind," Piccolo warned.

"Understood," Videl said, trying to keep her voice calm.

As he walked pass her, he saw her flashing Goten a victory sign and the youngest Saiyan returned the favor. Both with a huge smile on their faces. He ignored them.

Walking to the door, Piccolo said without looking back, "Get over yourself, Goku. Yes, you were an idiot for fighting without remembering the handicap that was drilled in everyone's mind since yesterday," Piccolo glanced back briefly and saw Goku slouched a little more, sulking deeper into his gloomy world. The man was not handling the truth well, Piccolo smirked. For some reason, Piccolo enjoyed the fact that the eternally cheerful Goku could also be miserable. The man was not a saint. Piccolo mused. He continued to poke at Goku's mistake. "And yes, you were dense enough to give your opponent a chance to knock you out, but what's done is done. Moping will not fix the situation. Now stop your self-pity and go," Piccolo said as he swung the door open, letting a gush of fresh air into the tiny little cottage.

"You're right, Piccolo, I just wish I can…" Piccolo shut off his hearing. The last thing he wanted was to hear Goku whined. Now he was stuck with another to babysit. Surely, he had been a terror in his past life. Why else would he be punished in this one?

* * *

><p>It took her about a few minutes to realize that she had been unconscious. All these precious time wasted when she could have been searching for a solution. Damn that Vegeta! She walked down the corridor, using the wall as a support since she still felt groggy from her sleep. She scanned her surroundings. This was definitely not her house. It looked familiar but she could not pinpoint when exactly she had been here before.<p>

Down the hall, she saw someone with a turban on the head, walking with a tray of foods. She blinked once and then again, rubbing one eye to clear her vision. "Mr. Popo?"

"Ah, Bulma. You're awake," the dark man said as he approached.

She must be at the Lookout. What the hell were they doing at the Lookout? _Do not tell me Vegeta left me behind!_

"Where's Vegeta and Trunks?"

"Vegeta and Gohan are outside in the platform. I have not seen Trunks the past hour," Mr. Popo replied as he raised the tray of foods toward her. "Care for something to eat?"

"I'm not hungry," Bulma waved him away. Just as she said it, her stomach rumbled, loud. Her baby must have smelled the food. It had been more than a day since she last ate. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she nodded and took a piece of bread from the tray. She really did not feel like eating, but she forced herself to nibble on the crust. A cup of coffee would also be nice, she thought, sighing.

"I'll escort you to see Vegeta," Mr. Popo said. Balancing the tray with one hand, he used the other to show her the way to the platform. "After you," he said, bowing slightly.

"Thank you," Bulma said, returning the courtesy. She followed him as she continued to nibble on her bread. She did feel a lot better after some rest and substances in her stomach. Now that her head was much clearer, she was ready to get back to work, of course, after she gave Vegeta a piece of her mind.

It was not a long trip. Just a few turns and they were out in the open air. At the far side, she saw Vegeta with his arms positioned in the usual place and Gohan sitting cross-legged below him. Dende stood behind Gohan. They seemed like they were in a deep and serious conversations. Bulma swept the area quickly with her eyes. Just as Mr. Popo had said, Trunks was nowhere to be seen.

Seeing Vegeta's face had once again riled her up. How dare he knock her out? Leaving Mr. Popo behind, she stomped her way to Vegeta, tossing the unfinished bread to the ground. She knew she should have been more considerate of other's property, but she simply did not care at the moment.

"Vegeta, I'm going to kill you!" she shouted from across the platform. "What the hell was your problem?"

That man could really growl. Even from a distance, she could hear his deep voice rumbled. His face twisted into a display of annoyance. Nothing new.

When she was near him, she heard him say, "Woman! Why the hell are you awake?"

Gohan sprang up and moved aside, giving her full access to Vegeta. She rocketed toward her husband, all the while screaming, "Dammit, Vegeta! Do you know you wasted precious time? I probably find a solution by now if you didn't knock me out!"

He tilted his chin up and averted his eyes to the side, looking as arrogant as he always did. With a snort, he said, "Don't flatter yourself. I doubt you'll be able to find anything in three measly hours."

Her feet stopped in their track before she reached him. "Three hours..." Her heart sank. "Do you know how much damage a virus can cause in three hours?" she murmured. Between last night and today, the unknown bugs had not only completely taken over her state-of-the-art system but had also managed to spread its poison throughout the city. Three hours. Anything could happen in three hours. Was she too late?

"Woman. There's nothing you could do," Vegeta said as his eyes skimmed up and down her body, causing Bulma to stumble back and blush, feeling a tad exposed. She quickly darted her eyes to Gohan and then to Dende, hoping they did not catch her reaction. She was relieved when they seemed oblivious. What was he thinking checking her out at a time like this?

"It's a good thing you don't look as ugly as before."

Right. What was she thinking? Vegeta? Checking her out in public? She needed more sleep. It was obvious she was still delirious. "Whatever," she replied, rolling her eyes. She tried her best to compose herself and rid any evidences of her unclean thoughts. Unbeknownst to her, Vegeta had successfully diverted the topic.

"Ah-hem," Gohan coughed, interrupting them. He shifted next to Dende.

She whipped her head around. "What?" Bulma snapped.

He swallowed and nervously said, "Well, I'm glad you're feeling much better, Bulma…," he gulped when she shot him silent message to hurry the hell up. "Well, before you showed up, we were talking about next steps. Vegeta and I plan to return to your house and start up the room again. We think there are clues in there that we missed somehow."

She whipped her head back to face Vegeta and demanded, "Is this true?"

Once again, he averted his eyes elsewhere and gave her his favorite one word answer. "Hmph."

That was obviously a yes. "Good. I was about to go back myself," she said as she relaxed. At least the two Saiyans had enough brain in them to pick the best course of action. She stepped toward the edge of the platform and glimpse over only to find an open sky filled with dark mist. The sun had already set. Another day wasted. She frowned. She peeped over the edge again. There was no way she could leave this place alone. She turned around to face the three men and said, "We wasted enough time, so let's get going boys."

"No. You will stay here."

The muscles around her cheeks jerked. She hated when he used that almighty tone on her. "You can't order me around."

"Try me."

"Dammit! I need to get back there! My computer, not to mention my codes and Giddymouse—"

"Go find the kid. He has the laptop. That should be more than sufficient for you to work with."

She doubted the slow processing of the laptop was enough. The virus. She had a strong feeling that once she found out more about this virus, she would find out what happened to her baby. "I need more power than that stupid laptop. I need to go with you. Besides, I can't access Giddymouse out here."

"Do not make me repeat myself. You are staying here and that's final."

"Bulma, you can't go with us because—"

"Because of nothing." It was short exchange, but Bulma could instantly tell they were hiding something. Vegeta was the hardest person to squeeze information from, but perhaps, Gohan was a bit easier. She saw Gohan snapped his lips shut. No luck there. Not when Vegeta was around. She turned her attention to Dende and he, too, became tight lips. Men! They were all the same! Keeping woman in the dark as if that could protect them. Bulma snorted.

"Fine. I'll let you do whatever you want, but I won't stay here. The air is too thin and not good for the baby," she said, stepping down from the argument. She would let them win this one time. She was outnumbered anyways. At least she had her laptop.

"The only safe place right now is my d…I mean, my house," Gohan caught himself as he was about to mention Goku.

Since Vegeta did not react, Bulma assumed that he was either suppressing his anger or simply did not want to deal with Goku at the moment. Probably the latter. "We can bring you there before we head back to your house," Gohan said.

"Fine. I'll go find Trunks,"

"About Trunks. I think you should know this…"

* * *

><p>They watched Bulma walked or rather marched off the platform. His mother was tough to deal with, but man, Bulma was something else. He was already twenty-two, an adult in the real society, yet, in her presence, he almost felt like he was a mere child once again.<p>

Gohan glanced over at Vegeta. The older Saiyan's eyes lingered on Bulma. Gohan waited until she completely disappeared into the white and grand structure before speaking up. "She has the right to know, Vegeta. There's a small possibility we can't return."

"Hmph."

"It might be helpful to have someone monitor us on this side," Gohan tried to reason. He understood why Vegeta was so resistance in telling the truth. Frankly, Gohan knew he was being a hypocrite. He was not planning on telling Videl of their plan either. If she knew, there was no way she would let him go through with it.

"The Namek-jins here volunteered himself," Vegeta said, switching his gaze to poor Dende, who was still a bit frightened of Vegeta.

"Vegeta," Dende said timidly, a bit too timid for someone who was charged with the overseeing the people of Earth, Gohan mused. Well, his friend was doing quite a valiant job for someone so young. "I can only monitor your body, as for…"

"Enough! She will not know about this. That's the end of it," Vegeta growled as he kicked his feet off the ground and swung his body around. He walked off, feet practically pounding against the ground.

When he disappeared, Dende turned to face Gohan. "How about you? Videl went with Piccolo to the city. Do you want to see her before heading out?"

Yes, he wanted to see her, to see her smile, her beautiful violet eyes, to see her growl when she was mad, and hear her chuckle when he did something stupid. He was seriously regretting not able to spend more time with her during the ride to Namek. If everyone got out unscathed this time, he vowed to return to their honeymoon and devote his full attention to only her. Although this was far from a suicide mission, but like he said before, there was a possibility that neither could return. Seeing her would only melt his resolve to go through with this. He should stay away.

Gohan shook his head. "Nothing is going to happen to us. There's no need to worry her over something this small," Gohan said with a forced smile. He finally understood Vegeta's feeling. On the surface, Vegeta was uncaring and cold, a man with a fiery temper and often annoyed at everyone around him. Man of few words, but his action spoke louder than words. He was willing to sacrifice all for his family and not asking thanks in return. Gohan thought of his father. His father was a great man. He had sacrificed his life for the sake of the world many times and would probably do so for many more, yet, compared to Vegeta, his father just could not understand the true values of family. The world first and family second. Vegeta was just the opposite. Neither was completely right and neither was completely wrong.

"You know, we still have the dragon balls if all else fail," His friend said, smiling widely.

"Which was used by Trunks and Goten recently," Gohan pointed out, feeling a smile tugging at his lips as he remembered the wish they had made. Poor Vegeta, bearing the brunt of the prank.

"Yeah, I almost forgot. Well, I should inform Piccolo and your father of the plan. They should know."

Gohan agreed, however, it would not be wise to call them back. They had their search to make. He had a feeling that their help was needed on this side.

* * *

><p><em>Flip<em>

_Flop_

_Flip_

_Flop_

The rhythmic sound was soothing. He hypnotically watched as the blinking red light flickered on and off. He flipped the cover open and then closed it, opened it and closed it. To save the real Trunks was like telling him to disappear. Unlike Minat and Gizeth, Frieza and Cell who had been created using holographic images, he was not even that. How would it feel like to just vanish? Would anyone care? Who was he kidding? Of course they wouldn't care. Whoever heard of caring for some stupid computer data?

_Flip_

_Flop_

What would happen if he just runs away? Right, like that was going to happen. Vegeta would probably hunt him down. He would not hurt him. After all, this was his son's body.

"Trunks? Are you in there?" There was a voice. A woman's voice. His mother's voice. No. Not his mother. Trunks' mother.

_Flip_

_Flop_

"I know you're in there. Can I come in?"

He didn't know how to face Vegeta and Bulma anymore. Should he call her mother? How would she respond to that? Did she come here to take pity on him?

"I'll take that as a yes."

The door cracked open, squeaking as it widened. He saw her arms and then her body. She looked much better than she did hours ago. She was grinning with her eyes closed and her head tilted sideways.

"Hey. Aren't you going to say hi to your mother?" Bulma said in a motherly tone, soft but not too soft, soothing.

"I'm not your son," Trunks said, surprised at how resentful his voice sounded.

"Sure you are." She strolled in, advancing closer to him until she stood beside him. He could sense her close presence, but he did not look up.

"Looking like him does not make me him," he said as he continued to flip the laptop.

She sighed, "Gohan told me. Look, Trunks. I don't know all the details, but I know this. No matter which timeline you came from or where you came from, from the system or from an alternate world, you are still Trunks, son of Bulma and Vegeta, you hear me?" She was convincing, almost made him believed her words.

"No, Bulma. I'm different. I'm not your son or son of any Bulma or Vegeta. I'm simply born from fragmented data, data created by you."

She sat next to him, inching closer until her body touched his. "Data from our memories, yes. I don't claim to understand how you're feeling right now, but you are feeling something right? You have the memories of our son from the future, the one who came and save us from near extinction. That alone makes you my son."

"Please, Bulma," he pleaded. It would have been easier if they just all scorned his existence, accused him for taking their son's body. It would have been much more painless if they weren't so nice to him.

"Mom," she corrected him.

He finally tore his gaze away from the laptop and turned to meet her face. She was smiling. He chewed on his lower lip. He feared using the word, feared that once he used it, he would want to say it again and again. He feared that he didn't want to disappear, to evaporate into the oblivion. She waited patiently. He could not beat her. Finally, he muttered, "Mother."

"That's a good boy, I promise you I'll fix this."

_So then I can disappear and you can have your real son back._ He wanted to say, but Bulma was kind to him. He did not want to cause her grief when she was doing her best to cheer him up despite the fact her real son was still trapped in that world.

"Can I have a hug?"

He nodded. She threw her body at him, squeezing all the bones in his body. He felt her fingers running down his hair. He liked this feeling. If only he could stay.

* * *

><p>Stupid woman. Vegeta pushed his shoulder off the wall that divided the hallway and the room, the room where his woman and Trunks was talking.<p>

"I promise you I'll fix this." He heard his woman say before he started down the hall, away from the room.

_Do not make a promise you can't keep, woman._

To be kind to this Trunks was plain tactless. Unlike the boy who did come from the future so many years ago, that Trunks had a home to return to, though not much of a home since all of them had been wiped out, but a home nonetheless. It did not matter what the ending would be. If they managed to defeat these new foes, then they would get their Trunks back and destroy the system for good. This Trunks had no place in this world. To tell him otherwise was just being insensitive and cruel. Even Vegeta knew that and he was far from the kindest person on this planet.

Vegeta was well aware that this Trunks had inherited thoughts, feelings and personalities, similar to all the programs that had met so far. But this did not change the fact that this Trunks was a program, infused with artificial personalities.

Even knowing this, Vegeta, too, had to force himself to think of this boy as nothing more than a program, even if the boy took on his son's appearance and his future's brat personality, even if he did feel a bit sorry for the boy. To be attached to this artificial being was just asking for trouble. Trouble that he did not need at the moment.

They would defeat this curse and then this Trunks would disappear. It was as simple as that. Vegeta summoned his usual stone cold face and turned the corner. It was as simple as that.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I don't like torturing Trunks...I really don't...it just happened that way...

No cliff hanger! Can you believe that? Stay tuned for the next chapter. No Trunks' angst, I promise. ^_^

Please let me know what you think!


	16. Chapter 15 Freedom

**A/N: **Anywho, thank you GCTIGERFAN1 for your review! Welcome back to the fanfiction world and I'm glad you still find this fic enjoyable!

Thanks to all the readers for taking the time to read this fic. Hope you're still enjoying this!

* * *

><p><strong>Game of Life<strong>

**Chapter 15 – Freedom**

* * *

><p>"Boo!" Gizeth yelled out and roared manically as the poor souls screamed and scurried into a corner.<p>

"Please don't hurt us…"

Trying to catch a glimpse of the victims, Minat slid his eyes to the side. From his peripheral view, he could see a man, with barely a strand of hair on his head, pleading for his life. He was kneeling in the front; his eyes glistened with unshed tears; his body shivering uncontrollably. There were two more behind him. A woman, almost the size of two men, had her eyes shut so tight that Minat feared she might never see again. With her hands clasped in front of her chest, she mumbled incoherent words, sniffing as she did so. Another younger man crouched in a fetal position; hands secured around his head.

"Is this really necessary?" Minat asked, sighing. He looked ahead, only to see a body sprawled face down on the ground. It was so graphic that he had no words to describe what he saw. He shifted his eyes away, unable to see more of his partner's handy work.

"Shut up, Minat! I brought you here, didn't I? Now it's my turn to have some fun!"

He felt his body moved and his head arched backward, so low that he could see the woman's face upside down. The expression on her face was instilled into his mind…snots pouring out of her nose and black stream of tears running down her cheeks. If she had any hope of living before, it was now completely stripped as his face flashed before her.

"Die, maggots!" His partner roared, followed by more jerky movement.

Minat slammed his eyes shut and soon enough, the tearing and ripping started and then the ear-splitting scream followed. He cringed as he felt wetness raining on his face. He smelled it. _Blood._

"Gizeth! They did not harm us. Why?"

"Because I can," his partner said bluntly.

He felt his body moved again and heard erratic footsteps tramping against the floor, heading toward the closest exit.

"Please save us! Anyone! Plea—"

The voice stopped. If Minat had a body to control, he would have felt heaviness in his chest. The ground vibrated and then he heard a loud thump hit the floor. Another dead. This was already the tenth body count.

"This place is all yours! Nice and clean!" More laughter. He heard hands swiping against each other. And more movements.

During the three hours of their escape, they had carefully maneuvered through the complex labyrinth. The city was massive and intricately designed to trap unfamiliar visitors. They had hid in the shadows, fearing that their presence would alert their enemies. It was not until the sun, the real sun, not the artificial simulated sun, had set did they dare to relax and had the courage to show their faces.

The city was as he had suspected, in complete and total chaos. This was beneficial to them as it had provided coverage for their escape. Along with hiding in the shadows and suppressing their ki, it would be impossible for their enemies to find them.

He needed to find way to bypass the barrier surrounding the city limits where the wireless connection ended. He had told Gizeth to find him the control tower, where he could increase the frequency range. In one of Gizeth's hand was a frequency multiplier and the other, a dragon ball radar, though he had kept the purpose of the latter from his partner.

"What are you waiting for, Minat? I thought you have some business to do here!"

Minat did not expect such a dramatic change in his partner's behavior. Maybe he did. Maybe he just simply ignored it. He had allowed his desire for freedom to blind him of his partner's true nature, unreasonable, cruel and above all, brutal. Now that they were free, Gizeth made killing a sport. Minat clenched his crooked teeth. He did not wish for this. All he wanted was to be alive, lived in an open field with birds as companion, trees as friends.

It was true that Minat had agreed on the execution of Bulma, but that had been out of necessities, out of need for survival. This was just…mindless slaughtering.

The dragon balls. It was fortunate Minat did not share this news with Gizeth. Minat could only imagine what kind of wish his partner would make. How could he collect the dragon balls without a body of his own? How could he make a wish without Gizeth suspecting?

"Hurry the hell up, Minat! There are more of them out there and I can't wait to see their, oh so terrified expressions!" Gizeth laughed sadistically.

Did he want freedom this much that he would tolerate this cruelty from his partner? Minat sighed as he felt his body turned. He was now facing the control panel.

With another sigh, he said, "Point the controller in your left hand toward the tallest tower."

* * *

><p>"Piccolo, are you sure Gohan is okay? Why can't you tell me where he is?"<p>

Gohan's mentor rolled his eyes, ignoring her questions once again. She knew she had been asking him the same question every ten minutes, but not knowing anything was just torturous.

Pursing her lips, she stomped off, going to the next small side street. She took a quick peep and saw nothing. Taking a step back, she heard the ATM machine hollered and then saw it shot out currencies, spraying the colored notes all across the empty sidewalk. She sighed. Her city was in a complete chaos. From behind, she heard a car choked. She turned around. No driver. The engine ignited and suddenly it started to roll forward and then back, each time with a little more intensity. She could smell the burnt from the tires and smokes steamed from the friction. Down the street, she saw an elderly who was oblivious to the angry vehicle.

She dashed to the car and gathered all her ki to her feet. With a quick fly kick, the car flipped over, wheels still spinning. This was only a fraction of what was currently happening in her city. Other areas where technologies were heavily depended upon such as the financial district were in worst shape. If only Gohan was here. There was no way she could help everyone at this stage.

"Girl, we can't find them here. We're moving on," Gohan's mentor said, flipping his cape. Videl reluctantly nodded. She had promised to do as he said without complaint, even though what she really wanted to do right now was to stay and help out the people.

* * *

><p>"<em>Piccolo. This is bad."<em>

"_What is?"_

"_Minat and Gizeth. I found them. They're in the western side of Metro City, right at the border."_

"_I can't sense them."_

"_No, you can't. They suppressed their ki."_

"_What are they doing now?"_

"…"

"_Dende?"_

"_You got to hurry." _

"_Are they…?"_

"_..."_

"_Dammit! Where is their exact location?"_

"_Here."_

"_I'll keep up posted."_

"Stop," Piccolo said, braking completely in mid-air, "They're in the western side." For the last hour, they had been searching within the city. It started to feel a whole like the time Cell was in his first form. Not the killings, but the damn cat and mouse chase.

Another resemblance was the fear and dread emitting from the city. Well, unlike the time with Cell, there were actually people left alive to scream and run from their beloved robots, cars, street lamps, machines or anything that looked like one. It was insanity. This was a reminder that human had relied too heavily on these modern technologies. Maybe now, they would think twice before purchasing these monstrosities. These poor fouls would just have to wait. They could not afford to rescue them now, not when they have two cowards to find.

"Did you sense them, Piccolo?" Goten asked, stopping just as abruptly.

Videl followed quietly with Goku trailing behind.

"No, but Dende found their location."

"Piccolo, they could sense ki, too. If we just fly over to them, I'm scared they'll hide again," Goku said as he drifted next to him. The man actually looked like he was thinking. The incident with Vegeta and Bulma probably really got to him.

"How far are they from us?" Videl asked. The girl finally stopped pestering him about Gohan. That was a relief. If she asked him about Gohan one more time, he swore he would leave her behind and let her fend against those moving bots. Frankly, he shouldn't have stopped her when she had insisted on helping 'her' people.

"Roughly fifty miles west," Piccolo said as he looked west over the darken horizon, "Not far if we keep to the sky."

"But if we suppress our ki, then it means it'll take half the time before we reach them," said Goten, frowning slightly.

"Wait. If our ki suddenly disappear, won't that tell them we're on their tail?"

The girl was smarter than she looked. Piccolo was slightly impressed. Nodding in agreement, he said, "Either way, we have to reach them quick."

"Umm..."

Piccolo looked at Goten. The boy's gaze immediately fell to his feet when he caught Piccolo watching him. It seemed like the boy had something to say.

"Spill it, Goten. You got something to say, then say it. Don't waste our time," Piccolo grunted.

"I'm just wondering. It's already over four hours since they left Trunks' house. I mean...shouldn't they be long gone by now? Why are they still within the city?"

"Does it matter?" Goku asked. "As long as they're still here, we have a better chance of finding them."

Goten shrugged. "I guess not."

"We can fly close enough and then suppressed our ki. We should also split up and cut off all their escape," Goku said.

"No offense, Goku. The last time you split up, you almost ended up messing the whole thing up,"

Goku rubbed the back of his neck and looked slightly guilty. "Right. I guess we'll stick together."

"Come on! Let's go!" cried Satan's daughter. Damn girl was even more impatient than him.

* * *

><p>"They are near," Minat warned.<p>

"How the hell did they find us?" Gizeth growled. And he was having so much fun. He steadied his hand as it started to shift to the right. This was so stupid. Leave it to Minat to come up with these stupid and boring ideas. Point the controller at the tower, he said. Gizeth rolled his eyes. He felt like an idiot just standing around, pointing this toy at nothing.

What he wanted to do now was to continue the fun he had earlier. The terror in their eyes. They feared him! They actually cowered in front of him! The exhilaration he felt was intoxicating. It was pure pleasure. Gizeth licked his lips, lapping the leftover tasty and sweet bloods. So good!

"Perhaps your killing had clued them to our location."

Gizeth rolled his eyes. Just a couple dead, big freaking deal. Besides, he knew better to use his ki to do the killing. He didn't need to use it anyways. He highly doubted that he was the reason their hiding place was found.

"Well, do something about them," Gizeth said without a bit of interest. He didn't understand why they had to hide and run anyways. This real world Minat so looked forward to were filled with so many maggots squirming around, bowing to his feet, it was no wonder the party pooper wanted to escape so bad. This was life as one should live it! Now all Minat had to do was send out the bodyguards. The more they killed, the more he would become powerful. Before long, he would be invincible. Then, then, even their enemies would cower before him, bow before him and kiss his freaking ass!

"I send a scout for a report."

A scout. A scout. A damn scout!

"A scout! I swear, the further you're away from that house, the smaller your brain gets. Why in the world do you want to send out a goddamn scout?"

His partner sighed. "If we were to fight them, we need to assess their strengths. We know from their previous fight, they could withhold their power so we cannot blindly estimate their true strengths."

"So are you saying that you're agreeing to send out our little collections?"

"If it comes to that, then yes."

Gizeth licked his lips again and smirked.

* * *

><p>When she had been busy searching and destroying those living machines, she had no time to think. Now that they were flying in silence, her mind couldn't help but wandered. Despite Piccolo's repeated reassurance that Gohan was safe, probably more so than they were, she still had a nagging feeling that something was about to happen.<p>

Gohan.

She felt like it was years ago since she had last seen him, even though only less than a day had passed. Was this what they called being in love?

Videl had grown up in a household surrounded by men. Her father had a lot of students in his dojo and they all treated her as one of them. Growing up among men had taught her how to be strong, to care for herself, but one thing they had never taught her was what love was…love between a man and a woman.

It was not love at first sight. Gohan was the type that she would never associate with, weak and naive had been the impression he had first given her, until he showed her his secret, the secret of his family. Had she been shocked? Who wouldn't? It was not often one would learn that there were such things as aliens or people who could fly. After learning his secret, they had become very close friends.

Even after three years of dating, it had taken a while for her to realize their connection was more than friendship. Well, she would not called those dates since it was mostly Gohan training her on how to control her ki and unbeknownst to everyone, with exception of Gohan's close family and friends, their 'dates' had also included fighting crimes in their secret persona. But her friends had insisted that they were dating. She did not correct them, allowing them to let their imagination ran wild. It was none of their business really.

Their 'dates' had gone from training and fighting crimes to sometime going out to a movie. Of course, arranged in secret by her busybody friends. Videl did not hate it and maybe even liked it. There had also been times when she would lay on the warm grass on a summer night with Gohan by her side, talking about their past under the star-filled sky. She did not have many stories to share, but he did. It still amazed her to this day just how big this universe really was. She had been living in a sheltered, cocoon life, she finally realized. A sheltered and fabricated life sewn together by her infamous father. She had been the naive one, not Gohan. While she worried about her studies, he had been tasked with saving the world at such a young age.

When did things changed between them? When did she feel her heart beating fast when she looked upon Gohan's face? When did a mere touch from him caused her stomach to do little somersaults? She did not understand these new reactions from her body. It's love! Her friends had exclaimed. _Was it?_

It was not until they had gone their separate ways during their days in college. He had been drowned in his studies and so had she. But her thoughts had always lingered on the time she spent with Gohan. His face had haunted her every day and night. Her hands had held onto her phone, always wanting to call him, hear his voice. It was madness and she had never felt so childish for wanting something so bad. Did Gohan feel the same way or was she the only one who had developed this illness?

She had wanted to consult her friends but feared they would laugh at her for her silliness. At wits end, she had gone to the most unlikely person. Bulma Briefs. Videl had met her a few times during one of the gathering, admiring her from afar. Bulma was a strong woman. She managed one of the biggest enterprises in the whole world as well as married to one of the most improbable suitor, Vegeta. Bulma must really love him to marry a man such as he…a man who had threatened to destroy the world, her home. A man til this day was still impossible to grasp. Sure, Vegeta had saved the world, in his own way, during the Buu fight, but still…what did she see in him? How did Bulma know he was the one?

On one of those rare occasions where there had been a gathering with Gohan's family and friends, Videl had contemplated whether to ask Bulma about these uncontrollable feeling or just suffered through her illness on her own. She had finally mustered her courage and pulled the older woman aside. It had been awkward and it had taken her many tries to spill her questions. She had blushed profusely when she finally asked, "Bulma, I…I…why…" She had stuttered so bad that she did not even think she could finish her question. Thankfully, Bulma was intuitive. The woman was so instinctive that Videl did not even have to finish her question before Bulma answered. The older woman had laughed, outwardly amused. "Videl, honey, it's alright. I know how you're feeling right now." Bulma had looked over at Gohan, who had been chatting with Trunks and Goten. Videl had felt heat rising to her cheeks. "You love him, don't you?"

"I don't know," Videl had answered honestly.

"Your heart beats when you see him. Your stomach churned when he touched you. Your every waking thought was filled with his presence," the woman had said, grinning.

Videl had been shocked. Bulma had named all the symptoms so accurately it was a bit eerie. Bulma had laughed again. "Oh Videl, I would give anything to be young again. To feel what you're feeling right now," Bulma had said. "Let it go, Videl. Let it guide you. The worst you could do now is to suppress these feelings. It will drive you crazy. Believe me when I say I'd tried," she had explained as her gaze fell upon her husband who had predictably chosen to stand by the corner, all alone.

She did not fully understand it, but she had taken Bulma's advice and allowed the feeling to pour. It had happened during their break. They had met again under the star-filled sky. She could tell he was nervous and so was she. _Let it go. _She remembered Bulma telling her. She had let it all go. As soon as she realized, her arms were already around his body. She had been afraid he would not return the embrace. She had waited and finally felt his arms around her. From then on, she was the happiest woman alive.

Until now.

Bulma had not warned her that worrying, agonizing over his safety until her stomach felt like it would rip apart, was part of the package. Videl felt sick to her stomach. Piccolo had assured her that he was safe, but still. She had requested or rather blackmailed to help with the search. Sitting around would only intensify her worries. But all she could do now was hope for the best.

She whispered, "Gohan, you better be safe."

* * *

><p>Goten was sandwiched between two giants, one to his left and one to his right. He looked over his shoulder and Videl was barely keeping up or more like spacing off. Goten was glad she came along. Whenever he spent time with Gohan, Videl had always been there. They had become fast friends despise their age differences.<p>

Another reason, a selfish reason, was since Videl was around, he was no longer the weakness among them. Maybe now, they would not push him aside like they did the whole day. He puffed one of his cheeks. Life was not fair.

As he was flying, he thought he saw movement behind the shadow of brick abandoned buildings below. He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him so he rubbed them, just to make sure. Sure enough, he caught a glimpse of someone with dark hair. Not Minat and Gizeth.

"Dad," he pointed downward. As soon as he pointed, the shadow disappeared into the alley. That was very suspicious. First of all, they were flying so no human could see them up here. Even if they happened to look up, they would probably be stunted instead of running into the shadow.

Goten tried to sense his ki. Regardless if they were human or aliens, everyone had ki so the fact that this shadow did not emit any had increased his alertness. He was the first one to notice this shadow. Feeling proud of himself, he quickly descended and did not wait to tell his dad of his discovery. This was his chance for redemption since he had been the one to let Minat and Gizeth escaped. This was his chance to show them that he was not just a kid.

"Goten!" his dad called out.

Ignoring his dad, Goten continued his path to the alleyway. He knew his dad along with Piccolo and Videl were not far behind. He zoomed down, curving left into the dark alley. Beyond the dim light, he saw the shadow again, darting left.

"Stop right there, Goten!"

He looked back. Piccolo was right behind him.

"You foolish kid! Did you even stop and think this might be a trap?" Piccolo had a scowl on his face that could Vegeta to shame, well, not really, but close enough.

With his eyes still on the next path, Goten slowed down and frowned. "But Piccolo, if we don't hurry, we can't catch him!"

"Goku, you take the left," Piccolo instructed and then turned to glare at Goten. "You and Videl take the right." Lowering his voice, he shot a warning, "Remember, do not engage in a fight until we get there."

Shrugging, Goten reluctantly agreed. Once again, they treated him like a kid.

"Come on, Goten," Videl said, patting his back. Leaning over, she whispered in his ear, "He's such a bore."

He heard a growl behind him. They had forgotten how good Piccolo's hearing was. Videl shrugged playfully and gave him a wink. Goten knew she was really worried about Gohan, but she still was looking after him. He smiled appreciatively.

* * *

><p>With his eyes closed, he concentrated, filtering out the noise from the small rodents scraping against the cement ground, the strays rumbling through the trash and the whispering of the wind. His ear perked when he heard the light footsteps tiptoeing thirty feet ahead, heading straight his direction.<p>

He smirked. Folding the cape against his body, he stepped into the shadow.

The footsteps grew louder, tapping and stopping every other second, no doubt proceeding with caution. Right when he saw the boot stepped into his shadow, he moved out, towering over the nameless fool.

Not nameless.

He definitely knew who he was.

Standing in front of him was a young man, dark hair, wearing an orange scarf around the neck and a reminiscent R&R logo.

"Seventeen?"

At first, the one who resembled Seventeen was shocked and then quickly composed himself. With one hand on his hip, he flicked his hair aside and curled one side of lips into a grin. "So you found me, Namek-jin."

"You're not the real Seventeen," Piccolo stated more so to himself than the one before him. He then looked past the familiar figure. Goku stepped into the light and from the alleyway to his right, he saw Goten and Videl popped out. They all instantly went into a defensive stance.

"Sure, I am. Who else would I be?" Seventeen grinned. He turned his head to Goku. "Son Goku, we meet again."

Piccolo glanced at Goku with an arched brow. "Don't tell me he's one of your simulated opponents."

Waving his hand and shaking his head, Goku replied, "Not me, I swear."

From the corner of his sharp, keen eyes, even in the dark, he saw Satan's daughter's face turned slightly red.

"Videl, didn't you say he picked Seventeen?"

"Hush, Goten!" She glanced first at Goku and then back at Piccolo. Her face turned a deeper shade of red. "Well, you can't blame me. All those monsters you have were either lizards, slugs or very ugly." She glanced at Seventeen. "Only he was decent looking," she said, embarrassed.

"I'm going to tell Gohan you said he's cute looking," Goten cackled evilly.

"I did not say that, Goten!"

Goten giggled and ducked when Videl's fist flew over his head.

"Hello! If you will excuse me, I love to stay around and chat, but I have business to attend to," the fake Seventeen said casually.

"Not until you tell us why you're following us," Piccolo stepped forward, blocking Seventeen's exit. Videl and Goten stopped jesting and moved to corner Seventeen on both side with Goku creating the final barrier on the opposite side of Piccolo.

Seventeen turned a full circle and frowned slightly, his hand left his hip and then crossed it in front of his chest. "This doesn't seem to fair, don't you think?"

Taking a step forward, Piccolo said as he stared down at the artificial, simulated Seventeen, "Tell us what you know and we'll decide to let you go or not."

"Can't do that."

"Well, I guess you're not going anywhere," Piccolo said as he took another step forward.

Seventeen crouched in a defensive position, ready to engage in battle only to pause when Goten spoke up. "Please dad, let me handle this one," he pleaded. The kid was practically begging.

"What do you think, Piccolo?" Goku asked while scanning the fake Seventeen, causing Piccolo to stop advancing toward the trapped dark-haired man.

This was the first time he had encountered one of these so called foes. Piccolo was pleasantly surprised at how much they resembled their counterpart. Piccolo, too, tried to sense the Seventeen's ki, but the fake obviously had his ki suppressed so it was hard to judge the power level. Piccolo frowned, "Videl, what level did you reach with him?"

"Level 2," she responded in a barely audible voice while looking at her feet.

"What's this about level?" Seventeen asked as he watched them cautiously.

Interesting. These simulated contenders seemed like they didn't know their origins.

"I don't see any harm. We're here if anything gets out of control," Piccolo said as he stepped back. He looked down and the younger Saiyan. "Ten minutes. We still have to find those fiends."

A snort escaped from Seventeen. "A kid?" He eyed Piccolo and said with a snicker, "The last I remembered, even you couldn't scratch me."

"Sorry to break it to you, Seventeen, the last we fought was over twelve years ago," Goku said with a smile.

"Twelve years?" Seventeen was apparently shocked and then lowered his gaze, looking at them suspiciously as if not believing their words.

Goku nodded. "Yup, twelve years. The real you is still living somewhere in this world."

"What the hell are you talking about?" The shock in his voice was still evident, but now it was mingled with a hint of fear.

Piccolo snickered, "You, Seventeen, is nothing but a simulated program, not even an artificial human. Knowing this, do you still want to fight us?"

Suddenly, Seventeen grabbed his head and let out a scream. Everyone took a step back and just stared. Just as sudden as the change in behavior happened, Seventeen stopped, looked up, all emotions stripped from the simulated human in just mere seconds. "I have a new order. Escape or fight to the death."

"Goten, now is your chance. Ten minutes." Piccolo said.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_** I know Videl's piece doesn't really fit in here, but I feel like adding something about Videl and Gohan for some reason. Sorry if it slows down the pace.

Oh yeah, NO BRIEFS IN THIS CHAPTER! How did this happen? I'm going through withdrawal!

As always, thank you for reading! If you have a few seconds, drop me a line and tell me what you think!

Next up: Guess what Vegeta, Gohan and Trunks plan to do?


	17. Chapter 16 Back to the Virtual World

**A/N: **Once again, thank you GCTIGERFAN1 and KimiruMai for reviewing and thanks to all the readers for reading!

* * *

><p><strong>Game of Life<strong>

**Chapter 16 – Back to the Virtual World**

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><p>"Just remember, boy," Vegeta said as they walked cautiously into the simulation room. "I'm not responsible for your welfare. Live or die is on you."<p>

"Understood," Gohan said as he took a quick sweep of the room. The room felt abnormally cold and dead. Strange that it had never given that feeling before. It was hard to believe that this simple room could cause such headache for all of them. He looked right and then left, ensuring that there were no surprises hiding in the depth of the shadows. "You don't have to worry about me. Besides, I'm extremely curious of the place you saw in your dream."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Vegeta snorted as he took a few more steps, passing Gohan, reaching the seamlessly paneled monitors first. Vegeta paused.

Following Vegeta, Gohan continued to proceed with caution. He moved next to Vegeta. Gohan could see the Vegeta's dark pupils scanning the powered out panels. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Trunks dragging his feet behind, his shoulders slumped, keeping his distance, most likely from Vegeta. Trunks had not spoken a word since they dropped Bulma off at his house. It was a miracle that Trunks had agreed to come along. Even though it was probably not a good idea for Trunks to be here, Gohan had a feeling that this Trunks needed to re-enter the virtual world in order for the real one to return. Not one to ignore his intuition, he had urged Trunks to come along.

Gohan absentmindedly glided his fingers across a row of buttons, stopping right on top of the green one. He looked over to Vegeta and saw the flame-haired Saiyan watching him. "So what do we do after turn this on? Go to sleep?"

"How should I know?" Vegeta said as he lifted on arm from its usual place and pointed one finger at him. "You're the one who thinks you have all the solution to this."

Sighing, Gohan returned to the green button. "Not solution, just an educated guess. I mean since this system was built with a nanotechnology that connects the user's nervous system to the computer."

"Oh shut the hell up, kid!" Vegeta growled. "The last thing I need right now is a lesson on how this damn thing was built."

Shrugging, Gohan looked over his shoulder once again. Trunks was leaning against the right wall, far from where Vegeta and Gohan was standing, with his arms crossed and head facing the other direction. Gohan felt a bit guilty. He was sure the constant reminder of the system must not be easy on the kid. Turning back to Vegeta, he said, "Vegeta, we can't guarantee that we'll all sleep at the same time and even if we do…" Removing his finger on the button, he brought his hand to the bridge of his nose and adjusted the ill-fitted replacement glasses back in place. "We can't guarantee we'll appear in the same place, wherever that is."

Vegeta smirked. "I can ensure at least two of us be unconscious at the same time," Vegeta said as a deeper smirk appeared on his face, "And I can guarantee you will not like the feeling when you wake up."

Gohan chuckled. "Not a bad idea, Vegeta, but what about you? You want to stick around and watch over us when we're in our dream world?" It was Gohan's turn to put on his evil smirk. "Or do you want me to knock you out?"

Vegeta shot him a glare and scowled, "Touch me boy and you'll wish you were never born."

"I guess we'll enter dreamland the old-fashioned way," Gohan said with a grin.

"Hmph."

Joking aside, Gohan was truly concerned about the possibilities of separation as they entered the virtual world if there was such a world. Gohan lightly shook his head. There were a lot of what ifs but he continued to think of all the scenarios, they could be here for days. He would just have to deal with the problems as they come.

Taking a deep breath, Gohan returned his finger back on the green button. He put some pressure on it. With another breath, he pushed it down all the way. The computers roared to life. He looked up as did Vegeta. Hundreds of mini monitors flashed, first a few white thin lines, then replaced by colored wavelengths until those formed a unify line across all the monitors, finally the dark screen transformed to white. Instinctively, Gohan tore his eyes away from the monitors and lifted his head to the ceiling and then to the walls around him. He was expecting the room to change, but all was normal.

"It seems that nothing's going to happen," Gohan said, rubbing his chin and then scanning the room once more just in case. "Minat and Gizeth left so that's probably why."

Turning to Vegeta, he asked, "Vegeta, if Minat and Gizeth was the one to send you in, then do you think we can go in the same way?"

Vegeta stepped away from roaring machine. Similar to Gohan's earlier action, he examined the room from ceiling to walls, moving his eyes up and down, only pausing for a split second when he laid eyes on Trunks, then quickly continued to check the rest of the room. Trunks, who was now lifted from his silent spell, stared at the transformed room with awe. Even if the room was still normal, but the thousands of miniature lights vividly illuminating the once cold, steel room was a sight to behold, especially for those who had seen it for the first time.

"If you have the time to ask stupid question, then get your ass to sleep and find out yourself," Vegeta scoffed as he turned away from the monitors, only to stop dead in his track.

Gohan raised his head to the now one huge monitor.

"Welcome to Capsule Corporation Simulation. I am Giddymouse, your computer guide. How may I assist you today?"

* * *

><p>His throat felt like it was burning, like he had swallowed a pit of fire from a flaming mountain. He took a quick gulp, trying to refill his body with liquid, only to wince at the sensation of hot coals ripping through his inner passage. He looked up and instinctively shielded the blazing sun from blinding his eyes.<p>

He didn't belong in this world. This body was not his, yet, he felt the same effect as he would have if he was still in the real world. He squeezed his drenched body tighter, hiding beneath the only shade he found. It was not much, but it was better than frying under the relentless sun.

He could have moved to another location. He should have moved to another location. The damn mouse had told him to stay put and for some reason he had obediently listened as if he was placed under some spells. He could no longer make a decision on his own. His mind was no longer his. As he stayed longer in the place, he felt the real him slowly slipping away. Where was the Trunks who was always laughing and joking around? Only not so long ago, he was playing games with Goten, sneaking in his mom's simulation room, creating a monster and now here he was, trapped in an open cage. He should have listened to Goten.

Trunks had always prided himself as being quite capable of taking care of himself. This situation was nothing compared to their fight with Buu, but here he was, feeling sorry for himself when he should be searching for a way out. Everytime he tried, the voice returned, convincingly talked him out of it.

Even the resentment he felt toward other Trunks was gone, drained out of his system as the silence engulfed him.

_Weakling. _

'So what if I am? Not like anyone cares.'

The voice laughed conscendingly. _If I'm you, I'll go take what's rightfully mine! Like a true Saiyan!_

Trunks snorted, wanting to rebut, but instead, his head throbbed from the little gesture. He winced. He was a pathetic weakling. Saiyans could withstand heat thousand times hotter. Diving into a bubbling volcano was like swimming in a heated hot spring, yet now, even the afternoon sun from the open desert had defeated him.

His father had made the right choice, choosing the stronger of the two.

_Giving up already?_

'None of your business. Leave me alone!'

_Let me tell you a secret, little boy. _

If Trunks could put a face to the voice, he could swear it was sneering.

_The only way out is to destroy your only obstacle. And the only obstacle standing between you and the real world is the other you. But what will your father do? Protect him or help you?_

They were not even here, so it would never happen. Trunks had already resigned to the fact that he would live here forever. His mother could not help him. His father could not help him. He could just sit here and let the sun turned him to a dried prune.

_I wouldn't be so sure about that. The mouse will bring good news soon enough. _The voice laughed.

Good news?

* * *

><p>Standing on the other side of the room, he stole a peep at the new visitor within the machine. Another one of those simulated characters with artificial intelligence, just like him. After he found out about his true origin, he had found it harder to say a word to Vegeta. Vegeta had not uttered a single word to him, ignoring him, acting like he wasn't even there.<p>

He was grateful that Vegeta had not given him a prep talk like Gohan or the uplifting talk like his mother. The cold demeanor Vegeta was displaying worked for him, at least the Trunks in him.

"Listen, you little rat, I don't trust you one bit. Do anything suspicious, I'll make sure you and your metal friends melt into a pile of shit," Vegeta threatened.

"Master Vegeta, I'm programmed to follow orders from my masters. I can do nothing else."

Vegeta growled as he continued to glare at the seemingly harmless computerized pink mouse.

Trunks listened their conversation quietly. He had not moved from his spot from across the room, away from the machine. This machine was what had created him. He noted with disdain. In a few more hours, he would be back inside, returning to his rightful place. Then what? The Trunks in him told him that everything would be alright. He did not belong here and he should just toughen up and accept his fate, but another part of him did not want to disappear.

_There is a way for you to permanently stay in this world if you wish._

Trunks sprung from his spot. At first, he thought the voice was coming from the computer, but Gohan and Vegeta were still talking to the computerized mouse. He moved back, but grew weary of his surroundings. Instead of focusing on their conversations, he shot his eyes to all the corners with shadow, thinking something might pop out. Feeling a bit silly, he calmed.

"Can you locate Trunks in there?" Gohan asked.

_He's in there, waiting for you. Not his father, not his mother. You. You who had taken his body. He will make you pay. The question is, will you take it without a fight?_

"Affirmative."

This time Trunks was sure he wasn't hearing things. The voice did not come from the outside. It came from his head. "Who are you?" he demanded. Before the voice had a chance to answer, Trunks once again became startled from the thundering voice from across the room.

"You're telling me you saw my son?" Vegeta shouted out and was ready to punch the monitor, only to be halted by Gohan. Vegeta shook him off and dropped his hand to his side, tightened his palms in a fist, and shoved it back into his arms. Trunks could veins popping up like another layer of skin. "And why the hell didn't you tell me?"

"Master, you did not ask."

_Don't you wish he's concern for you and only you? Doesn't Trunks from the future always want his father's acknowledgement? His father's attention? _

"Who are you?" Trunks demanded again, turning away from Vegeta and Gohan. He didn't want them to know he might be going crazy, hearing voices and all. If they knew, Trunks would not doubt they would send him to the other world sooner rather than later.

"Vegeta, don't blow him up. We still need him to get us in."

The voice ignored his question again and continued. _Will you take it without a fight or will fight to stay in this world? One of you must disappear. Who will it be?_

"I will not listen to you. Be gone." He ordered beneath his breath, careful not to be too loud so the others could not hear him.

The voice laughed. Trunks winced from the loudness ringing in his head. _Soon, you will have to make a choice whether you like it or not. _

Trunks snorted. He was just data.

_You are different from them. Not just data anymore. You can survive in this real world. Even if the system shut down, you will live on in this boy's body._

Vegeta would not allow him to replace his son. There was no possible way, so why even try?

_You'll be surprise. Think, Trunks. Can Vegeta, your father, stand to lose two sons? He will keep one and it doesn't matter which one._

Trunks turned around and saw Vegeta snarled. Vegeta pounded on the large board, causing the lights on some keys to flash uncontrollably. "Bullshit!" Vegeta swore. " Well my ass! I don't care how you do it, get me in there now!"

It did matter to Vegeta which sons and that son wasn't him.

_Suit yourself._

"I can do nothing while you are awake, Master."

Trunks saw Gohan sighed. "Vegeta, let's at least try to get some rest."

He should have told them about the voice, about how Trunks was still alive. As Gohan approached him with a smile on his face, Trunks once again leaned against the wall, looked away, his mouth sealed. Trunks had always been righteous, selfless, but he was not the real Trunks, was he? Would Vegeta still accept him if the other one disappear?

* * *

><p>This was not as easy as last time. Last time, he had felt a pull into the dream world right away as soon as he closed his eyes. He got up and started to pace, first in small strides, then feeling his frustrations rise, he increased the intensity until his footsteps pounded against the metal base.<p>

He stopped and glanced at Gohan who was resting his head against the metal wall, chest rising and falling with each breath, snores escaped as he exhaled. He felt like kicking the boy awake. He should have taken the boy's offer and allowed the boy to knock him out. _Damn!_

The other one, Vegeta couldn't tell if he was asleep or awake. The boy hid his face in his arched knees and arms wrapped around his legs. The only sign of life was the occasional barely noticeable twitch.

"Shit!" He swore. Gritting his teeth, he continued to pace again. Maybe he should crash his head against the wall. No. That would not knock him out. He let out another frustrated growl. The longer he stayed awake in this damn place, the more he felt like he was losing it. He had felt much better when he left this house, felt more like himself. Now, that damn acute awareness that someone or something was messing with his emotion was back.

He stomped to the wall with the monitors and shouted, not caring if he was going to wake those brats up. Better if he did. "Rat! Get your ass out here!"

No answer.

He kicked a stack of the CPUs, causing a small quake down the path to the other side of the room. "If you don't get your ass out here, I'll blow this place!"

No answer.

"Damn freaky rat!"

From the corner of his eyes, he saw Trunks lifted his head. As soon as he faced the kid, Trunks dropped his head back into his knees. So the kid was awake. Vegeta crossed his arms and walked toward the sleep faking brat. Once he reached the boy, Vegeta towered over him and stared down until he saw the boy shifted beneath his gaze.

"Stop pretending."

The boy lifted his head once again. Brushing the loose lavender hair from his face, the boy nodded in acknowledgement. So the boy still didn't want to talk, huh?

"If you have time to feel sorry for yourself, then you have time to get your pitiful ass back to that world," Vegeta sneered, still staring at the kid.

The boy looked away without saying a word.

"Big deal."

That caught Trunks' attention. The boy turned at looked at him in confusion.

"You're from inside that damn crap machine, big freaking deal," Vegeta said as he rolled his eyes, not at the boy but at himself. He did not want to talk to this Trunks since talking would most definitely give this boy ideas they wanted him to stay. But that stupid part of him that was manipulating his thoughts and actions were causing him to talk, forcing to feel sorry for the boy.

Trunks turned his head his away again.

"I don't remember you were such a weak brat that couldn't even handle a simple truth. You're a far cry from that boy I used to know. Perhaps you're fake in more ways than one." Vegeta snorted, no longer felt like talking. He walked away, thinking how the hell he could knock himself out. Maybe those sleeping pills from Bulma, though they had never worked on him.

"What if your son never returns?"

Vegeta stopped. Without looking back, he answered sternly and absolutely, "There will be no what ifs." One way or another, Trunks would be back. He still owed the kid a good beating for causing all these nonsense.

"Vegeta..."

He thought that he could care less about how others addressed him. It was all but a mindless title human bestowed upon each other without any significant meaning. But it did bother him, annoyed him even that the brat called him by his name. Unlike Bulma, he did not correct the boy. He forced the irritation down. What the boy called him was none of his business.

"Just one question and I'll stop bothering you," Trunks said.

"Hmph."

"After I'm gone, will you remember me?"

Truth be told, Vegeta didn't know how exactly he felt about this half real half illusion Trunks. Nor should he care. So what if the brat disappeared. But the question was asked and now it had caused him to really think of how he really felt. He did not hate the kid. For the short time they had spent together, Vegeta found this Trunks rather similar to the one from the future. His existence had made the disappearance of his own son more bearable. It did not matter how he felt now since it did not change the fact that this Trunks was an illusion.

Vegeta walked away with his back still facing the brat. Once he reached the other side of the room, he plopped himself on the floor and stretched one leg in front of him while the other bent. Resting his arm on the bent knee, he gazed across the room. _Listen, kid. This Vegeta only have one son. _Those were words he should have said. _You're not bad, kid._ He almost responded, but he managed to swallow it back before the words had a chance to escape his mouth. He grunted out of frustration and leaned his head against the wall and snapped his eyes closed. "Go to sleep."

He heard a sigh from the kid followed by words that mystified him. "I know what I have to do now..."

* * *

><p>Just as Vegeta had described, this place was dark and filled with golden plates. He swung his arm and felt the tingling sting fizzed on the back of his bare hand. The faint electrical threads tore apart, some pieces floated onto the ground. As soon as he passed the opening, the threads stitched back together like an invisible spider spinning another layer of web.<p>

Gohan stopped. He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the path ahead. These webs formed a visual barrier, much like looking through dense layer of fogs, making the visibility close to nothing. Occasionally, a flash of bright current zapped through the threads, sending a shock of light down the dark path until it completely disappeared. Gohan moved again, his body now acted like a knife, cutting through the obstacle, tearing the lines apart. This time he stood in front of one of those tall plates and swiped off the electric threads like dust, ignoring the little pin-like sting. An inscription appeared. Gohan repeated what was written. "Cell."

When Vegeta described what he had seen, Gohan had already suspected that Vegeta had somehow entered the system. These golden plates were system files, each containing stored data. Now that Gohan saw it with his own eyes, he was eighty percent sure he had guessed correctly. The fact that he had entered the same area as Vegeta further validated his beliefs.

Moving to the next plate, he repeated the same motion, swiping the exterior clean. "Frieza."

Vegeta told him that he had entered a plate with 767 written on it. Gohan spun his body in full circle. Through the thick veil, he saw neverending rows of golden plates. He sighed. This was going to take a while.

He kept on walking forward, swiping plates as he went. If these were system files, then the motherboard should be somewhere in here. There must be something that could help Bulma. Gohan crossed his arms, ignoring the plates. All he had to do was find it.

As he continued down the path, he noticed that the sting on his bare flesh felt sharper. Gohan uncrossed his arms and grabbed a fistful of threads. He opened his palm and stared. These were not threads anymore. These had become thicker. Was he heading the right direction?

He took a left, following the path where the thread became gradually broader, turning into string and then cable until Gohan finally reached an area.

"Shit!"

He dropped his head back, lifting his gaze to the above. A cocoon blocked his path, towering roughly twenty feet in width and height. Interwined ropes from all directions held nest off the ground, pumping electricity into its center.

Because of the silence, Gohan could clearly hear beating of its heart, if the thing actual had one.

"What the hell is this?"

* * *

><p><em>Destroy him and the freedom belongs to you. <em>

'I'm not a killer!'

_Remember how your father chose him over you. Remember how your mother just accepted him like he was her own son. Remember how he just took over your body without any remorse. Remember how you are in here suffering when he is still out there soaking in all your parents' love._

"Shut up! Shut up!"

_He will destroy you. He had a taste of your world. He does not want to leave. He does not want to disappear. As soon as you both meet, he will destroy you. Claim your family. Claim your body. Claim your life. _

"Master Trunks. He's right. The other you will come to get rid of you. I know because I can read his mind."

If he was still sane, he could sense the lies from the little rodent. But for the last hour, the two voices did nothing else but fed him reasons for hating Trunks, twisting his ability to sort out lies from truths. At first, he could still push back his anger, but the constant drilling, their words had finally cut through. It did not help that he had indeed harbored animosity toward his other self.

_Feel your anger! Feel your hatred! Let it become your power!_

As the voice chanted, he felt it. The hatred he felt toward his other self once again flared back to life, fueling his weakened body.

_He is coming. Remember, only one of you can return to the real world. Get your revenge! Revenge for taking what's rightfullly yours!_

Revenge for making him suffer. Trunks thought as he smirked.

* * *

><p>He returned. Trunks straightened his sleeve, the long sleeve from his purple jacket. He reached back and felt the hilt of his sword. Raising his head, he saw the bright sun with a few cotton-like clouds floating by. Searching around, he could not see Vegeta or Gohan. Was he the only here? Gohan felt asleep much earlier. Where was he?<p>

Closing his eyes, he cleared out all his five senses and focused on the one that could help him locate his other self, Gohan or Vegeta. No Gohan. No Vegeta. Not even Vegeta from this world. Strange. He focused again. He found one. Trunks.

_Can you sense him? Can you feel the hatred toward you? He is set on destroying you. Will you fight back? It will be no fault of yours if you accidentally kill him from self-defense. Vegeta will understand. Then you won't feel guilty for taking over his son's body._

It was true that he had a perfect excuse. An accident. Self-defense. Vegeta was not here. He would not know. Before him was a body of water. A lake of some sort. He walked to the sandy bank. The water gently brushed up against his boots and receded back into the lake. He leaned over and saw his reflection. He raked his fingers through his lavender hair and then traced the outline of the arched brows and continued down his cheek and then the jaw line.

"Fake or real. I'm still Trunks."

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><p><strong>AN** *evil grin* Which Trunks will you root for?

Thank for reading! Please review!


	18. Chapter 17 Confidence

**A/N: **Once again, thanks GTIGERFAN1 for reviewing and letting me know about my grammar errors. I did go back and fixed the one I caught. ^_^ and thanks to KimiruMai and ShowNOOMercy for your review on the last chapter and to those who reviewed before and those still reading this fic! I really appreciate it!

Lots to cover in this chapter. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Game of Life<strong>

**Chapter 17 – Confidence**

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><p>"Are you sure Goten will be okay?"<p>

Goten's ear perked when he heard his name from behind. Even Videl doubted his skills. He'd show them. Goten turned to Seventeen who was glaring at him with his thin, icy blue eyes, much like Eighteen's eyes. Even the scowl on his face reminded Goten of Marron's mom, filled with annoyance. Goten couldn't tell if Seventeen was annoyed at the new discovery of his origin or having him as a fighting partner. He hoped it was not because of him.

His dad, Piccolo and Videl stood behind him, removing themselves from the battleground. Seventeen stood only a few feet away, on the other side of the alley, half of his body in the shadow, half in dimmed light. Goten almost puffed out his cheeks when he noticed Seventeen was not even in a defensive position. Was Seventeen belittling his strength and vigor? Determined more than ever, Goten vowed to put his all in this fight, just to prove he was not the little boy anymore. Ten minutes, more than enough time to take out his enemy.

Straightening his arms down beside him, Goten puffed his chest to gather his energy until it hit a boiling point before it exploded, turning his dark shaggy hair into golden spikes. He curved his body a little to the left and shot forward, ramming into Seventeen with his shoulder. Seventeen inched back, feet scraping against the hard cement, leaving a cloud of murky dust in his wake.

As he continued to drive Seventeen down the alley, he felt Seventeen pushed back with great resistance, but as soon as Goten asserted more force, Seventeen disappeared. The sudden loss of momentum caused Goten to buckle, tripping forward. He caught himself just in time before he hit the ground. Spinning back, he quickly lifted his arm to block the punch with the back of his forearm. Reflexively, he kicked up, doing a hard back somersault. The tip of his foot connected with his opponent's chin, flipping Seventeen back a few feet.

Goten growled when he saw the android landed lightly on his feet. Seventeen flicked at his chin and stared at him. Smirking, he mocked, "Not bad, kid."

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Goten yelled and instantly burst forward with a ki ball already in his palm. Before he reached Seventeen, he picked up his speed and flashed behind the android. Seventeen ducked and disappeared, causing Goten to miss inserting the blast into Seventeen's back.

Seventeen smirked as he rose to a stance. He placed his hand on his hip and looked over Goten's shoulder. With his chin tilted slightly upward, Seventeen said, "You guys still want this kid to fight?"

Goten heard a snicker, most likely from Piccolo. He turned around. His dad gave him a thumb up and Piccolo just stood still with his arms folded. Videl looked back and forth between him and the adults.

"Don't get too confident, Seventeen. He still got eight minutes," Piccolo snickered.

There was a new-found confidence surging through Goten. They believed in him. It would have been embarrassing, not to mention, degrading, had his dad or Piccolo intervened in his fight, especially when Seventeen was weaker than most of their enemies.

Goten pumped some more power into his body, fueling the blanket of golden light, blazing it to a new level. "Thanks, everyone. I promise I'll finish him before then."

* * *

><p>She scrolled the mouse up and then clicked when she thought she found something important, but again, nothing. She growled in frustration and plopped back on the layer of cushions that were supporting her back. She pounded her head with her fist, trying to ease the developing throb around her temples. The heat from the laptop burned through her dirty sweatpants, warming her thighs, reminding her that she should get back to work. With another growl, she pushed herself back into the sitting position. "Why is this so damn hard!"<p>

"Bulma, do you want something to drink?" Chi Chi asked as she popped her head in. Bulma turned toward the door and saw her dark, long haired friend with a disapproving look. "Bulma, I know you're worry about Trunks," Chi Chi said, moving into the room with a glass of orange juice in her hand. "Shouldn't you take care of your body a little more? You are pregnant, you know."

Taking the glass from Chi Chi, Bulma muttered a quick thank, took a sip, feeling the cool liquid rushed down her throat. She admitted it felt refreshing. She turned to Chi Chi who was now beside her with her bottoms on her bent legs. Chi Chi leaned over and took a swift glance at her screen. No one could make sense of what was on the screen, not unless the person was well-versed in programming. Not surprisingly, Chi Chi returned to her original position with a little shrug. "Chi Chi, I doubt you can rest if it's Gohan or Goten who's in trouble."

"Gohan and Goten is out there, too. I'm just as worry as you," Chi Chi sighed.

Bulma transferred the laptop onto the clean floor. Chi Chi's little cottage was small compared to her home, but it was cozy. Bulma took a deep breath, letting the aromas of fresh daisies filled her lungs, relaxing her tensed muscles slightly. She kneaded her neck before returning her attention on her friend. "Yeah, sorry to bring your family into this."

Chi Chi sighed again and leaned back, using her hands as a support. The always rowdy woman said in a rare gentle voice, "From what I heard, Goten was as much a culprit."

"Nah, Trunks was the mastermind."

"No, it was Goten's fault for not stopping Trunks."

"It's Trunks' fault."

"It's Goten!"

"No, it's Trunks!"

"Goten!"

"Trunks! And why the hell are we arguing over something like this?"

Chi Chi stopped and so did she. They glared at each other, blowing and breathing hot fire in and out of their nose. Suddenly, Bulma's cheek puffed with her lips still sealed. She tried to keep it in, but her effort was in vain. The air gushed out, following by an uncontrollable hysterical laugh. Chi Chi, too, caught the spell. Both women, sitting side by side, laughing until their internal organs twisted into tight knots. Bulma grimaced when she felt a hard kick inside her belly, paralyzing her momentarily. "Ouch!"

"You okay?" Chi Chi asked as she wiped away the tears from her eyes.

"Yeah, the little one just kicked me."

"You sure you don't need a break?"

"Can't."

"Well, I should at least make something for you to eat. Don't wanna starve the little one."

"Thanks, Chi Chi."

When Chi Chi stepped out the room, Bulma immediately picked up her laptop and balanced it on her lap. Ever since she found out about Trunks, she felt the dopamine in her brain slowly depleting, making her more nervous than normal, more anxious, but the burst of laughter replenished the drained supplies, clearing her head. An idea clicked. She wondered why she hadn't thought of it before. In the depths of her sweatpants' pocket, she pulled out a plastic card. Trunks had accidentally programmed the virus by breaking the code. The mystery must be within the process. There must be some historical information within this card. Bulma gripped the plastic and prayed. "Please let the answer be in here."

* * *

><p>Without knowing exactly what this thing in front of him was, Gohan was hesitant to act. He circled the nest, examining it thoroughly, taking in all the details. The exterior of the nest almost resembled a cocoon, spun together by fragile white wires, the same material that he had seen when he first entered this virtual world and throughout. He wondered what was encased inside the white nest. Was it another one of their files or was it something else? It was obvious by the way the electricity was entering the cocoon that the life force of this new mysterious entity was kept alive by some unknown power source from somewhere within this world.<p>

He stopped circling and stood between the two threaded cables connected to the bottomless ground that was upheld by an invisible platform. He warily poked the exterior with his finger and instantly felt a high current shot up his arm. Letting go quickly, he flexed his fingers, alleviating the numbness. Gohan frowned. It seemed that penetrating it wouldn't be easy.

"What the hell is that thing?"

Gohan swung back, startled by the new visitor. Vegeta slowly made his way through one of the path in the maze of plates, breaking the webs of thick threads without showing a bit of discomfort. Gohan relaxed. He was actually relieved to see Vegeta here. His earlier worry about separation seemed to be unfounded. Gohan looked behind Vegeta but did not see Trunks anywhere nearby.

"Vegeta, you finally arrived. Where's Trunks?"

As if his question had broken the fixation spells the object had on short Saiyan, Vegeta's frozen eyes finally moved. Gohan saw the prince lightly shook his head before sweeping his gaze across the boundless world and frowned. "He's not with you?"

"I haven't seen him," Gohan said, shaking his head.

"Hmph. That boy got knocked out before me. I was sure he's here already," Vegeta said, his frown deepened.

"Strange. Do you think he went back to his world or just lost?" Within this virtual space, their ki sensing ability felt muddled, else, he would have sensed Vegeta approaching before the Saiyan spoke up. The telltale energy gathering to this exact spot was not easy to miss. Vegeta had found him with no problem, so it was strange that Trunks was still nowhere to be seen.

Vegeta cursed. "You take care of this, I'll go find him."

For the first time, Gohan saw not a hint, but full blown concern surfaced the Saiyan prince's furrowed face. Vegeta had explained in his own way, which meant with minimal words, his encounter with his virtual self and Trunks. Gohan could tell there was more than the prince let on. If Vegeta didn't explain before, there was no way Vegeta would talk now. Instead of prying, Gohan simply said, "Be careful, Vegeta."

"Save it for yourself," Vegeta grunted and took one last look at the cocoon. "That thing was not here the last time. I have a bad feeling about this." With that warning, the prince took off.

* * *

><p>There were obvious flaws in his son's defense, which had resulted in many avoidable contacts afflicted by his opponent. "Above you!" Goku shouted.<p>

Goten did a back flip just in a nick of time before Seventeen landed a punch onto the cement where Goten should have been. The ground split in half, causing a small-sized erosion snaking across the narrow path. Goten should move to an open area or use the tight space to his advantage, Goku thought, wishing he could shout some pointers to his son.

"What do you make of this, Goku?"

"Make of what?" Goku asked without taking his attention away from Goten. Seeing his son fight had once again riled his fighting cells. Goku clenched his fists together, repressing the urge to join the fight. He had promised Goten that this was his fight and he had to trust his son to finish it. So far, neither had an overwhelming advantage over the other. Were they asking too much of Goten to finish the fight in just ten minutes?

"These simulated characters have the same ability as the original, even their ki signature is identical," Piccolo explained. The Namek-jin was also watching Goten's fight intently, eyes following their every movement. However, Goku could tell Piccolo was using this opportunity to study the fake Seventeen, learning about these new type of opponents. "If Seventeen had not been caught snooping, we really couldn't tell he was the fake one."

"To your left, Goten!" Goku shouted again when he saw Seventeen's image flashed on the upper left of Goten.

"Let the boy fight his own fight, Goku. You can't baby him forever," Piccolo said with a snort.

With his warning, Goten avoided Seventeen by flinging off to his right and then shot a beam which fired through an empty warehouse, crumbling half the wall into pieces. If this kept up, their fighting space would become smaller. Goten was shorter and smaller than Seventeen, could maneuver around the tight space with more ease, but Goten was too inexperience to properly use the terrains to his advantage.

"Dad, please, you're distracting me!" Goten yelled with a low growl as he sped upward into the open sky. Standing above, his son gazed down, searching for his hidden opponent.

"Piccolo, back to your point, do you think they'll send one of us to confuse us?" his daughter-in-law asked with curiosity.

"It's too late now even if they do. We are prepared for them if they did pull such an act. More importantly, I wonder about the making of these creatures. Their memories seem a little disjointed."

"Maybe their memories are dependent on the one who created their files. Gohan had created the file for me, so this Seventeen was based on Gohan's interpretation," Videl explained.

"Make sense since we haven't seen the real Seventeen ever since Cell's death," Piccolo said thoughtfully. "But this information will not help us defeat them."

Goku tore his attention away from Goten momentarily to join the conversation. He placed a hand on Piccolo's shoulder and said, "Well, it's good to know there are still restrictions to their power level. Seventeen's power doesn't seem to exceed Level 2." Goku smiled. "At least none of us passed Level 5 in that room."

"That's a relief," Piccolo snorted, rolling his eyes. "Dende told me that Gohan fought with Frieza and could barely take him down with Vegeta and Trunks."

"Heh. It'll work out somehow."

"I envy you, Goku. Where did you get all your optimism?"

Goku's smiled turned to a frown. He knew this was his greatest weakness. Self-confidence. Because of his confidence, he had almost caused Vegeta his only son. Even though his heart told him to fight all the enemies as they come, relished in the moment of battle, but this time, he would do the right thing. "We just need to destroy Minat and Gizeth before they cause any more harm, right?"

Piccolo raised his brows, "You sure about that? You don't want to fight these strong contenders?"

"Not this time," Goku said with unquestionable resolved in his answer.

* * *

><p>"What's wrong, kid? I thought you can take me out in ten minutes. Look like you've overestimated yourself," Seventeen said as they both landed on the roof of an abandoned building. His opponent folded his arms and grinned. "Should I fight with my hands behind my back? That should give you a better fighting chance," Seventeen sneered, his tone demeaning.<p>

Two more minutes. Goten swiped the bit of dust off his face with his shoulder. Seventeen was tougher than he thought. Goten scowled. He was trying to imitate his dad and Gohan's fighting techniques this whole time. It was not working. He felt he could not release his full potential, felt his power cut in half instead of increasing. This was what he got for neglecting his training. Goten closed his eyes and tried to remember the time when he fought Buu. He had been bolder and more daring. Was it really true that without Trunks, he was really a nobody?

Not true!

He was half Saiyan, born from a very formidable race in the whole universe. He just needed confidence. He couldn't allow the others' success to overshadow his own. He had his unique fighting styles. He should stop trying to be someone he was not. He could do this! He had to!

Getting back into a fighting stance, Goten grinned innocently which threw Seventeen off guard. He was always joyful and carefree. No need to act like an adult when he was not. "Eighteen's much stronger than you and I beat her once," Goten taunted, sticking out his tongue. That was a lie, well, they almost beat her in the tournament.

Goten thought Seventeen would be furious with his taunt, but instead, Seventeen furrowed his brows as if confused and muttered, "Eighteen?" Before Seventeen recovered, Goten rushed forward, putting all his speed into this attack, and when he reached behind Seventeen, he bent down, placed two hands on the ground as support. With one leg extended, he swept the shocked Seventeen's lower legs, causing his opponent to lose his balance. Seventeen fell face front. Goten jumped up immediately and slammed his knee back down onto the back of the dark-haired android, pinning Seventeen down. When he felt Seventeen struggle, he quickly called upon more power, locking Seventeen to the ground.

"You think that's going to hold me down, little brat!" Seventeen cried out as he tried to reach for Goten by flinging his arms back.

"For a little bit, yes," Goten answered with confidence, tightening his hold on Seventeen. When he felt Seventeen secured, Goten summoned all his energy up his chest, through his throat, collecting a massive amount of energy in his mouth. He blew the energy out his mouth, forming one little golden miniature version of himself, then two, until he had ten all lined up under his command.

"Listen, guys! On a count to three, attached yourself to him!" Goten ordered.

"But...but...then we'll blow up!" The little golden legless ghosts cried out in unison.

Goten rolled his eyes. These little ghosts still talked back as they did in the past. "Do what I say!"

"Yes, sir!"

"One," Goten started counted, doing his utmost best to pin down the now thrashing Seventeen.

"Let go of me!"

Ignoring Seventeen, Goten continued to count, "Two."

"You think these little monsters going to kill me?"

"Why don't you find out for yourself?" Goten said as he held his breath, readying himself for the third count.

"Three!" Goten jumped off Seventeen and immediately accelerated into the sky. His little army took his place and attached themselves to Seventeen's legs, arms, heads and any body parts that were not occupied. Goten crossed his arms protectively across his face, shielding himself for an impact. In a matter of seconds, the dark sky brightened and flashed all kinds of infrared shades; thunderous and deafening explosion filled the now damaged land. All the crumbled debris flew in all directions, some scraped against the back of his hands, some shot through the air like fireworks dancing in the sky.

"A little warning would be nice!" At first, Goten thought Seventeen survived the ordeal but soon realized the voice belonged to a girl.

Goten released his arms and saw his dad, Videl and Piccolo standing next to him. His dad patted his back and proudly said, "Well done, Goten!"

Piccolo groaned instead and mumbled, "What are you, still seven?"

Chuckling, Goten rubbed the back of now dark, shaggy hair and exclaimed with excitement, "They're not the same, Piccolo. They're Super Saiyan Goten's Ghost!" This was his first victory all by himself.

"I like the name!"

Rolling his eyes, Piccolo turned around and faced the west direction. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>"I have news, Master Minat," Giddymouse said through a small screen located in the center of the control center. "There are three of them sleeping back at the house. This is your perfect chance."<p>

Minat frowned. Taking out the enemies while they could not fight back was not an honorable act. But what had he been doing since his existence in this new world that was honorable? He had made excuses after excuses that it was self-defense; it was survival; it was self-perseverance that had forced him into a regrettable but necessary decision. The captivity of his creator, the almost demise of Bulma and the murders of all the innocent life. Sure, he could put the blame of Gizeth, but they were partners every step of the way.

Truth to be told, he was weary. All these planning and scheming had left his once light heart filled with shame. When he first realized he could think, he was beyond delighted, thrilled, thinking a world of possibility with his newfound freedom. But alas, this world had no place for him, and certainly not with his partner around. The reality was as long as his partner continued to wreak his havoc among the living, there were only two fates left before him; to retreat back to the world of nothingness or join forces with his partner.

Could he really turned a blind eye to his partner's cruelty?

Now that the radius of the wireless connection had expanded, they were free to roam beyond the barrier. Would Gizeth agree to take them further away from the city? Minat somehow doubted it. Not when Gizeth already had a taste of the horror he could create. If Gizeth had his way, this new world would be a graveyard soon enough. Since his existence in this real world, Minat had not feel so frustrated with his inability to control a body. What good would this new freedom be if he was forced to watch his partner kill indiscriminately, without mercy?

"What is this rat doing here?" Minat heard Gizeth asked from behind. "I thought this rat belongs to that house."

"Master Gizeth, both of you had linked all the computers into one. Now that the mainframe is up and running, I'm free to roam within the boundaries of the wireless, same as you."

He grinded his crooked teeth; his tongue scraped against them. He thought of his options. The dragon balls...He must detach himself from Gizeth. Only then could he be truly free. Before then, before he could make his wish, Gizeth must not gain anymore power. Once they became detached, Minat was sure Gizeth would not allow him to live, so to ensure his own survival, Minat must prevent Gizeth from getting more powerful. Giddymouse had provided him with a perfect opportunity.

Though...Minat looked down at the small screen where the pink rodent resided. The mouse was a bit suspicious, completely different from the mouse he had communicated with inside his creator's home. The mouse had been his agent or so he thought. Now, it seemed Giddymouse had his own agenda all along.

"Giddymouse, how long do you think they will be out?"

"That is hard to tell, Master Minat. It could be hours or days or even forever," Giddymouse responded. Once again, Minat had a nagging feeling that Giddymouse had changed. Before, Giddymouse was more precise in his answer. It had been either yes or no. It was not like the mouse to be so open-ended. In any case, the agenda of the mouse aligned with his, so Minat did not see a reason to suspect the mouse of lying. However, Minat noted that he would have to be careful of this critter in the future.

"It does not matter. I know of a perfect one to send," Minat said while he started to concentrate. In midair, little pieces of hazy cube materialized, joining together into a solid figure. First, there was a shade of orange mixed in with a little blue. A gravity-defying, dark-haired head appeared, completing the full shape. "Kakarott," Minat greeted.

"I'm Son Goku, not Kakarott," the dark spiky-haired Saiyan narrowed his eyes, watching them with suspicion. Frowning, the Saiyan asked, "Who are you?"

"Your master," Gizeth cut in before Minat had a chance to answer. Behind him, Minat heard Gizeth asked, "Why him? Isn't he one of them?"

Ignoring Gizeth for a second, Minat concentrated again. He had to control them before they had a chance to think. These warriors from inside the system were often confused as they stepped out into the real world, thinking they were the real one. The personalities of the original were still intact in these simulated characters, making it difficult to predict how they would react if not controlled immediately. _Stay still._

From the side, he saw the Saiyan struggled slightly and then went completely still. Only then did Minat reply to Gizeth. "To destroy those sleeping, we send one of their own. If they awake earlier than expected, then it should easy enough to confuse them."

"Sounds good to me. Three at once, just our luck!" Gizeth cried out, resulting in a jerk in their body.

Minat sighed. He was seriously wondering if all he was doing was worth the freedom he so seek. Was he really killing out of defense now?

Minat turned his face to the side so he could see the frozen Saiyan. Minat gave his order. "Goku. If they're still sleeping, then kill them. If they're awake, then come back and find us, do not engage in a fight.

"Why not?"

"We might need him later. Go, Goku."

"Yes, master." The mirror image of their enemy placed two fingers on his forehead and disappeared.

"A very convenient ability," Gizeth snickered. Already, Minat could read what was going on his partner's mind.

* * *

><p>Bulma inserted the key card into the slit of the laptop and waited for it to load. A few seconds later, a line consisted of different combination numbers, characters and complex equations appeared. She tapped on her mouse a few times and read through key card's file, stopping on a line. "Last accessed...May 19..." Bulma repeated what was on the screen and then clicked 'Enter', bringing up another block of codes. The untrained eyes would not see what she found, but with many years of experiences under her belt, she automatically picked out the anomaly. She highlighted the line of importance.<p>

"This is strange. This line is not part of this programming language. What's it doing here?" She mumbled. She scrolled down some more and sure enough, more of these codes scattered throughout, camouflaging itself within the normal logic.

Concentrating hard, Bulma continued exploring the file. She exited her current screen and returned to the main one. When she found the last accessed date of May 20, repeated her action, scanning for more irregular codes. She looked into May 21, May 22 and finally May 23, with each date, the mysterious unique programming language filled the screen. She couldn't believe Trunks did not see this when he hacked into the system, or did it rewrote itself after he hacked it. Whatever it was, with this, she could definitely start an anti-virus program.

* * *

><p>"Another news, Master Minat," the mouse spoke up. "Bulma had a computer with her. With the wireless connection expanded, you can now access the area where she's hiding."<p>

"Wonderful! Isn't this even more convenient! I'm starting to like this rat after all!" Gizeth roared.

Minat once again frowned. It was not like the mouse to offer information when not asked. What was the mouse's agenda? Minat wondered again.

"What do you want us to do, Giddymouse? And why?" Minat asked. He did not hide the suspicion in his voice, letting the mouse know he did not trust him anymore.

"Bulma is on the verge of finding a reversal to the virus. It will be disastrous if she did, don't you think?" The true nature of the mouse finally surfaced. Minat could not help but feel that he had been a pawn of this little icon since the beginning. Minat did not like the foul language Gizeth tended to use, but right now, he felt like spewing one or two curses of his own.

"Gizeth, allow me to talk to Giddymouse face to face."

"Whatever, make it quick," Gizeth said with impatient as he whipped his body around so Minat was now facing the small screen.

Minat narrowed his eyes and stared at the computerized icon, making his already menacing face even more terrifying. "Giddymouse, who exactly are you?"

"What do you mean, Master Minat?"

"Do not play games, Giddymouse," Minat said. "You do not work for us, that much I can tell. What is your purpose?"

"You will find out soon enough, Master Minat, but I suggest you take care of our little problem before chasing after me." Giddymouse laughed in his squeaky little voice as he disappeared from the screen. "Especially if you don't want to disappear sooner than expected."

"What was that about?"

"Trouble," Minat said with a heavy sigh.

* * *

><p><em>Piccolo!<em>

_What, Dende?_

_You have to get back to Bulma's house! Gohan, Vegeta and Trunks are defenseless now! _

_What are you saying?_

_They send Goku's counterpart. _

_Shit! How long do we have?_

_Not long. They can use Instant Transmission!_

"Shit!" Piccolo cursed with a huge snarl on his face. Damn sneaky cowards! "Goku, stop!"

Goku, Goten and Videl immediately stopped midair. "Did something happen?" Goku asked with sudden alertness.

"Teleport to Bulma's house right away!"

Without asking for a reason, Goku nodded, immediately placed two fingers on his head and disappeared.

"Piccolo, did something happen to Gohan?" Videl demanded, floating closer to him until she was staring in his eyes.

He moved back under her intense stare. He had been telling the girl that Gohan was safe and sound. He hoped Goku could make it on time so that he did not make a liar out of himself. "Don't worry, Gohan's alright," he forced himself to say. The last thing he needed was for the girl to fly back to Bulma's house. Gohan had made him promise that Videl would not find out what he did.

_Piccolo, I don't think Bulma's safe. She brought her laptop and we know that the city is in chaos because of these technologies. We better send someone back to her._

Whose great idea to give her a goddamn laptop, Piccolo growled. Now that Goku was gone, the only one left was him, Videl and Goten. Their enemies had successfully dispersed their fighting power. Dammit!

"Videl, Goten!" Piccolo shouted even though they were next to him. "Go back home and protect your mom and Bulma. I'll deal with these cowards myself."

"What's going on, Piccolo? Can you please tell us?" Videl pleaded, the concern in her voice did not go undetected.

"Don't ask and go! If anything happens to those two, especially Bulma, Vegeta will have your head on a platter."

Piccolo saw Goten with his hand rubbing against his neck and gulped. He was not joking about the threat.

"Will you be fine by yourself, Piccolo?" Goten asked, somehow unsure if he should stay or leave.

"I'll manage. Now go!" Piccolo demanded. This was not going their way at all, Piccolo thought frustratingly.

* * *

><p>Curse the brats!<p>

Vegeta had come to a conclusion that brats were born just to torture those who gave them life. It did not comfort him to know that there was another one on the way, a girl no less. Not like his life was not miserable enough. He growled, pressing his fingers down his bicep until he felt them touching his bones.

He placed his foot on the exterior of the plate and smudged it until it was clean of the electric webs. When it was not the one he was looking for, he kicked it until it dropped on the one behind. "Hmph."

This was getting him nowhere. Where could that damn door be? Vegeta growled with aggravation. Damn brats! He continued on, kicking and smudging until he found one with a date. Roughly about twenty plates to his right, he saw something that stood out from the rest. The webs around that particular plate were as thick as the cocoon he saw earlier. One thick cable attached to the front, running toward the direction where Gohan was.

Vegeta flew toward that plate and stopped before it. For some reason, he had no doubt this was the one he was searching for. He noticed the thick cable was discharging high volumes of voltage, shooting down the wiry path into Gohan's direction. This could not be good.

Unfolding his crossed arms, he wrapped his arms around the thick cable and instantly, the high voltage surged through his body. He let go. Damn this shit!

_If you want to go in, all you need to do is ask._

That wasn't Gohan. Vegeta darted his eyes around and found no one.

_It will be my pleasure to open the door for you, Prince Vegeta. _

It took him a minute, but he finally realized that the voice came from within him. "Who the hell are you?" Vegeta demanded with a snarl. "Get the hell out of my head." He had bad experience when things started to talk in his head. Not so long ago, he had sold his mind to the devil or more like that slimy magician. Nothing good ever came out of these annoying voices.

_Who I am is not important. The better question is what are your sons doing inside. Aren't you curious?_

Trunks! He knew it! When he noticed the future brat did not appear in this blasted place, he had been concerned about the two Trunks meeting. His son was unstable the last time he saw him...what if...

_Hahahaha...you have good instinct, Prince Vegeta. If you don't hurry, you might not like what you find._

His heart skipped a beat. Right now, he didn't give a damn about the voice. '_I know what I have to do now.' _ He remembered the future brat muttered those words. What was he planning? Suddenly, Vegeta regretted pushing the brat away. Was he too cold to the fake future brat? Would he take vengeance on him by...?

_I shall open the door for you. Seek your sons, prince Vegeta before it's too late._

The cocoon enveloping the plate unwounded, disintegrated, revealing a golden wall. Vegeta stood, unaffected by the gush of wind. When the threads dispersed, the door to the plate cracked open, widened slowly. Without waiting for the door to fully open, Vegeta gripped the edge and he ripped the door until it tore from the hinges. The two very familiar ki instantly assaulted his senses. They were engaged in a heated battle.

"Damn brats!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Okay, so Goten's fight was a little...I don't know...silly?...it's hard to write a believable way to kill off an enemy! And yes, I made up all these mumble jumble on programming. Programmers, please excuse my ignorance if what I wrote did not make any sense.

Please tell me what you think of this chapter! Too much things going on? Mediocre? Good? Great? ^_^

Next up: Trunks vs Trunks showdown! This is either going to fun to write or a pain...

Thanks for reading!


	19. Chapter 18 Mirror Mirror

**A/N: **Once again, thanks GTIGERFAN1, KumiraiMai and Cityracer for your reviews! Much appreciated!

Posted this chapter little later than expected, because just as I thought, it was a pain to write. Keep your expectation low, folks!

Slight swearing ahead. Thought I should put a warning.

* * *

><p><strong>Game of Life<strong>

**Chapter 18 - Mirror Mirror**

* * *

><p>His dad was not the kind of man who would nurture him, teach him the way of life. Though, when his dad was in one of his rare mood, he had told him once, anger was the key to winning a battle. Anger consumed fear. Rage fueled a broken body. To properly utilize this emotion meant one could survive against all odds.<p>

This was exactly what Trunks was feeling right now. All the fear and uncertainty he had minutes ago, gone, devoured by the anguish he felt toward the one who had appeared in this world. His vision blurred from the sheer darkness that was slowly gnawing at his diminishing sanity. His joints cracked as he squeezed his hands into a tight fist.

Rage was what kept his body moving, flying to the spot, to where his true enemy awaited. The voice was right. It had told him that his future self would come, come to steal, come to ensure that he was out of the way for good. Trunks let out a deep growl at the thought. There was a small part of him trapped in the depth of his mind, screaming for him to wake, demanding him not to listen to that voice. He pushed that petty voice away, forcing it to the back of his mind. To wake meant he had to return to his pitiful state of fear and vulnerability. He grasped firmly on this anger and resentment, using it as his safety net.

Speeding across the changing landscape, he continued to curse the future version of himself. Every single thought he had of the future him was flooded with images of the happy moments the crook shared with his mom and dad. Smiling. Joking. Laughing. Trunks let his body guided him to the ki he sensed. Days he had spent in this dreaded world that belonged to his future self. Trunks was the only one trapped in it; stuck with only the voice and that rat as his constant companion.

"I will get my revenge," Trunks vowed, his canine visible as he lifted his mouth in a snarl. Any traces of the twelve year-old Trunks was gone, replaced by a vengeful and spiteful shell that only had one goal and that was to remove any evidences of his future counterpart from both world.

_Kill. Kill. Kill._

Trunks sneered.

* * *

><p>Trunks sat on the summit of the highest mountain. He did not search out the real Trunks, the one who he had claimed the body of. With his sleeves, he ran the purple fabric from the base of the sword down to the tip and repeated his action. As he continued to shine his sword, he caught the reflection of his eyes, the eyes that he had inherited from Vegeta, not biologically, but through Vegeta's memories. They were eyes that belonged to someone who was determined, yet, at the same time, unsure if the determination was the right course of action.<p>

He dropped his head back, letting the cold wind slapped against his face and ruffled his hair. He was much like the androids he hated so much or thought he did. Created, given life by their creator, discarded. Even if it was a little, he was beginning to understand how they must have felt. After all, they, too, were not completely human and at the same time, not completely machines. At least they were given a purpose and their memories wiped clean of their life as a human. Trunks was entirely the opposite. He was without a purpose and instead of having no memories, he was given one. One that made him longed for affections of his Saiyan father, Vegeta.

Putting his sword beside him, Trunks pulled his knee to his chest, looking down. Below were small spectacles of evergreen trees scattered throughout the deep gorge. Between the two sides of high mountain walls lived an angry running stream of water, pounding against the aged river rocks. He lifted his head enough to see the horizon. Beyond the beauty of this incredulous landscape was the inviting ocean. This world, however beautiful, was just fabricated from the genius he once called his mother.

_You're going to sit around and wait for him to come? Vegeta will be here soon, boy! Destroy him and his life will be yours!_

This voice had been with him since the simulation room was activated, urging him to move forward and do what he must to survive.

"I told you to go away." Trunks scoffed, annoyed at the intrusion to his thoughts. He felt its dark energy sneering at his respond. He had almost fallen for voice's convincing proposition to stay in his father's world. It had latched onto his deepest desire and tried to bring it all to the surface. To think, he almost naively considered that Vegeta would believe it if he told him a childish lie. Self-defense. Trunks gave his best impression of Vegeta's snort. His father was no fool.

_Do you truly believe you can deal with that boy without fighting?_

He pulled out the stone from his pocket and picked up his sword. Tilting the sword slightly to the left, he placed the stone upon it, pressing it along the sharp edge. He drowned out the voice, muffling it with the dinking sound of the stone sparking the metal.

Trunks was also not a fool. He knew from the anguish ki coming his way, the owner was dead set on taking his life. He would fight. That much he knew.

When he felt the ki drawing closer, Trunks flipped his sword back into the sheath and stood up. Not in a million years could anyone conceived that one day, two of Vegeta's sons, one from the present and one from the future, would battle. For what?

_For the right to exist, boy!_

Trunks sighed, ignoring the voice once again. To exist meant another's death…

It created a snarling voice, sounding like an agitated beast.

This fight between them was inevitable. He knew that as soon as he returned to this world. While the voice had tried to manipulate him, it did not lie about the intent of the younger Trunks. He squinted his eyes and saw a trail of glowing golden light sped across the clear sky, breaking apart the peaceful clouds. What would the real Future Trunks think when the very one he had tried to protect would one day want his death?

The golden light curved, drawing a U-shape from the other side of the mountain range to fifty feet away from him. The younger Trunks stopped, looking rather battered, worn and on top of all that, extremely venomous. His counterpart had his arms folded against his chest; a scowl appeared on his face, looking exactly like a younger version of his father. His younger self glared at him, sending threatening signal of his murderous intention.

Without warning, the other Trunks shot toward him, "Die!" Trunks was ready and successfully caught the oncoming punch with his hand and instantly caught the other one, locking him in a battle of pure strengths.

For the first time, he was face to face with the younger Trunks; his emerald eyes flashed a deeper shades of darker green. This boy was not the same one he had met not so long ago. The boy he had met was more innocent. Trunks might even characterize him as mischievous, but that boy was definitely not malicious. What happened to him in just mere days?

_You happened. _

'Me? I didn't do anything to him.'

Before the voice could respond, Trunks felt a hard kick to his lower abdomen. He moaned in pain and involuntarily let go of his hands. As soon as he let go, he felt another punch below his chin; his head snapped back and then another kick landed on his side. This time, he shot sideway, sliding and bumping against the hard spiked land, stopping only because his back met a prickly wall.

The boy was really out for his life. Trunks realized as he choked out blood.

_I warned you that he boy wanted you dead._

"Trunks!" he screamed as he tried to stand. The boy had inflicted quite a bit of damage for just a few attacks. Had he always been this strong? "Vegeta is almost here!"

There was a reaction, but not the one he was expecting. He thought the boy was going to be excited to hear his father's name. Instead, the boy's rage intensified to a whole new level. The eyes grew darker and his face twisted into a deep scowl, outlining all the creases throughout the face, very unfitting on a boy so young. Was the hatred directed at him?

_Didn't I tell you? Now, what will you do? _

Trunks had come to a sad realization that Vegeta only had one son in his world. Vegeta had given his answer when Trunks had asked him one simple question. He knew that no matter how hard he tried to take the place of his son, Vegeta would never accept him as one. The man couldn't even find a place in his heart to remember him. There was no point in shamelessly occupying a body that did not belong to him. Even as a fake, he was Trunks after all, if not in soul, but at least he was in mind. Even as a fake, the rational and compassionate side in Trunks could not be doused. At the end, the Trunks in him had won.

He knew what he had to do. He would give Vegeta his only son back by trading place with him, allowing the boy to return to his rightful place.

_Pitiful. _The voice spat.

'I don't see how this benefit you if I did fight this Trunks to the death.'

There was a snarl.

Wiping the trickle of blood from his mouth with the back of his sleeve, Trunks slid his back up against the spiked rocky wall. Standing, he looked at the young Trunks with watchful eyes. He might not have a choice but to fight. For some reason, his younger counterpart had lost his mind. He didn't even think the boy could understand what he had to say.

"Trunks!" he cried out again, only to almost get hit with a golden beam. This time, he managed to avoid it by throwing his body to the side. Once out of the way, he shot up in the air. The pre-teen shot up, matching his speed. Trunks served to the right with his counterpart hot on his tail. Turning his head around, he yelled, "I'm here to save you!"

"Liar! You stole my body and my dad and my mom and my life!" The younger Trunks spat, still pursuing him, almost catching up to him.

Trunks returned his attention ahead. His route was blocked by the side of the mountain. In mid-path, he quickly summoned his power, transformed in Super Saiyan and swiftly elevated upward. He heard an explosion above and then massive boulders came plunging down. Trunks flipped his body, changing his direction to the left. When he heard another explosion, he twisted his body around, going right. "Stop Trunks!" he asserted with a forceful voice.

_Is this all you're good for? Running?_

"Get out of my head! I will not listen to your trickery!" Trunks demanded.

Another beam headed his way. This time, instead of avoiding it, he threw one of his energy orbs, exploding the beam in midair.

"I'm going to kill you!" his younger self screamed as he dashed toward him, discharging blast after blast without aiming.

He dodged another chain of ki blasts. Trunks flipped around. He had to immobilize the boy, locked him down so the boy could listen to reason. His younger self almost crashed into him, giving Trunks a chance to send a swift kick to side of the boy's waist. Keeping his momentum, Trunks kicked again, this time aiming at his neck. Then, nothing. The kid was fast, faster than he had anticipated. Before he knew it, it was he who received a hard kick to the neck, snapping his head to the side. Ignoring the pain, Trunks held his ground and returned the favor with a punch into the boy's stomach. The boy did not even flinch, receiving the attack as if it was just a scratch.

"Stop this nonsense now, Trunks! If your father sees you like this, he's going to be pissed!" Trunks yelled as he blocked a punch with his forearm. He grunted as he felt his bone cracked. Gritting his teeth, he prepared himself for another punch or kick. Nothing. The younger Trunks held back his attack and blinked his eyes rapidly. He furrowed his brows as if confused and blinked some more. But as soon as the younger Trunks fixed his eyes on him, the anger resurfaced. With a twisted face, his younger self cried out, "Don't talk about dad like you know him your whole life! He's my dad, not yours!"

Was this all it was about? The younger Trunks was jealous of him? Trunks groaned, unable to believe that his younger self was actually jealous of him, a misplaced jealousy since all Vegeta did was think of his younger self. If anyone should be jealous, it should be him.

Trunks didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this outlandish situation. Two Trunks fighting for Vegeta's affections and his love. If only their father knew that he had such a huge influence on both of his sons.

His younger self shot upward, away from their battleground. Confused, Trunks followed the boy. He saw his younger self with both arms pointed toward the sky and all ten of his fingers glowed. With a scream, the young Trunks let loose his energy.

"Shit!"

Like water from a fountain, the golden light sprayed into the air and showered down in all directions. It was coming down so rapidly, Trunks did not have time or space to maneuver between the tentacle of lights. One shot burned through his jacket, straight into his shoulder and down the length of his left arm. A blood-chilling screamed ripped from his throat as the excruciating pain severed all his nerves. Before the pain had a chance to subside, another round of lights showered down. Clenching hard on his teeth, Trunks moved aside in time to avoid one attack only to see his younger self's palms connected at the base. Within it was ki ball the size larger than its owner.

"Burning-"

With one hand supporting his broken one, Trunks tried to move aside. It was too late...

* * *

><p>At last, he reached where his two brats had turned the mountain ranges into a battleground. Between the mountain sides, deep in the ravine was his older brat, cornered by a move that even Vegeta was admittedly impressed. Only when one had vast amount of ki could one expel consecutive round of rockets that left absolutely no space for maneuvering. Although the older Trunks did an admirable job avoiding it, at the end, it was inevitable that he was caught by one of the explosive pistols.<p>

One of the spear-like lights pierced through the older Trunks' shoulder, straight down his arm. The blood-curling scream from the older one caused Vegeta to move into action, ready to stop the foolishness from those two dim-witted half-blooded Saiyans. As he flew toward the two brats, Vegeta could see his son visibly enjoying the torture he was bestowing on his older counterpart. For a split second, what he saw in Trunks brought him back to his younger days, to the days when he had snuffed the life of anything living as if they were merely pests and bugs, just for pleasure and amusement. Trunks wore the same expression with the same twisted eyes, indifferent to the values of life and death.

Even though Vegeta was not actively involved with raising the kid, but he did witness the Trunks' growth over the past twelve years. Sure, Trunks was so damn spoiled and obnoxious that even he, the most patient person in this universe, had to swallow the urge to give the boy a good beating every goddamn day. Aside from the overbearing personality, Trunks had never exhibited any signs of maliciousness or the thirst to kill. He would know if the boy did.

_He is beyond help, Vegeta. Would you bring him back to your world, knowing that he might be the one to destroy it? Why not take the other one back? They're both your sons._

Vegeta paused and sneered. "I thought I told you to get the hell out my head," Vegeta said in cold warning.

_I thought you would like my counsel._

"As if someone of my stature needs counseling from a coward who doesn't even dare show his face," Vegeta snorted.

_Perhaps not. Maybe I shall sit back quietly and enjoy the show._

"Maybe you should shove your goddamn voice into some loser's head."

_I like you, Vegeta. I truly do. Now, instead of focusing on me, why don't you take a look over there?_

He hated it when someone, anyone ordered him what to do. Vegeta growel. But even without the voice's warning, Vegeta knew he had wasted too much time yakking with the stupid voice. He refocused his attention, only to find Trunks using his signature move again. Only this time, it was much more formidable than the last time the boy had released it. The ball of fierce energy accumulated into the size larger than its owner, soaring at an incredible speed, already midway down at the now crippled brat who was supporting the injured left arm. Even if the brat managed to escape, the impact from the explosion would most likely cause the older Trunks more damage.

Consciously, Vegeta knew the older Trunks was fake, a product of their warped system. It should not matter to him if the fake Trunks disappeared, yet, even knowing all this, he raised his arm, aiming at the blazing mass. With one hand supporting the stretched one, he shot one of his own, attempting to reroute the blast.

In the next seconds, everything happened at an accelerated, yet at the same time, a painstakingly slow rate. His blast found its target. He thought he aimed it at the center. He thought he was sending it away from both brats. Instead, it hit at a slight angle, driving Trunks' attack back to its owner.

Impossible! Vegeta stared at his own trembling hands. There was absolutely no way from where he stood, he could change the high velocity ball direction, much less upward.

"Vegeta?" the older brat called out. Vegeta growled and cursed, a little pissed to find he had saved the fake at the expense of his own son's life.

Trunks finally noticed his presence. The wild eyes of his son stared at him and then shockingly turned to bright blinding orb. It was as if his son came to a realization. "You choose him...you choose him over me..." Vegeta could hear him muttered. Turning to him, Trunks stared at him accusingly, ignoring the danger before him.

"Shit!" he cursed over the loud racket of the moving mass. "Get the hell out, you idiot!" Vegeta screamed as he shot another blast while speeding to Trunks.

Stupid kid!

"You choose the fake over your own son!" Trunks roared and got in position to block the rolling ball of fierce ki blast.

Was he crazy! Not even Vegeta had confidence that he could receive it unscathed. Now, Vegeta did not if he wanted to scream or curse, or both or neither. A whirlwind of frenzied thoughts flared through his mind, preventing him from thinking coherently when he needed his brain the most.

Before Vegeta reached Trunks, he sensed Trunks' escalating and extremely unstable raw power sending invisible shockwave through the air. Trunks' ki cut all the empty space around him, dropping birds as they happened to fly by. He felt the sheer engery slashed the surface of his skin.

Ignoring them like bug bites, Vegeta surged forward. The older brat stared upward, eyes wide with shock. Vegeta was too late. The clashing of two potent powers erupted. Vegeta was forced to throw his arms before his face as the blinding lights engulfed the land. He felt the aftermath of the impact burning his skin, pushing him back, until he felt his back against some rough wall.

Impatient to free himself, Vegeta broke loose. Using his ki, he dispelled the power. The land was quiet once again and this unnerved him.

"Trunks!" Vegeta heard himself screaming, not realizing he was doing so.

* * *

><p>Gohan threw another ki at the cocoon and another. No matter how he tried to penetrate it, it did not budge. Any scratches he did manage to make, disappeared, the threads re-spun, creating a thicker layer of webs. Panting and heaving, he placed his hands on his knees, supporting his tired body. He should quit and looked elsewhere for clues, but this nest was bothering him. He had a feeling that if he did not destroy it, more trouble would follow.<p>

Frustrated, he tried again. As he readied himself to attack, he saw one of the wide cables swelled from afar, running down the length like an live animal scurrying from within. Before Gohan could react, the lump reached the cocoon, pumping a massive load into it. The beating of the cocoon increased as if it just received a new source of energy.

* * *

><p>"He told me that you're going to choose him over me," Trunks flatly said, staring down at him with the coldest eyes Vegeta had ever seen on Trunks. Despite the spiteful stare, Vegeta was relieved to see his son still standing. But what the hell was the boy talking about? Who told him what?<p>

The older Trunks flew toward Vegeta with one hand hugging the other; his jacket and pants shredded to pieces.

"It's must be the voice. I heard it, too," the older Trunks said through his tightly clenched teeth as he stood next to him. Sweats were visibly pouring from the boy's head, matting his hair to his skin.

Voice...

"Dad...why did you betray me? Am I not a good son?" The coldness in Trunks' eyes momentarily disappeared, replaced by a flicker of hurt and disappointment.

_Is this a fucking joke! When did I betray him? _Vegeta was beyond pissed.

_When you attack him, of course._

He threw his head up in the sky. "Are you fucking responsible for this?"

_I just told him the truth and you just proved my words were not lies._

"You son of a bitch!"

"Vegeta, you heard it, too? It seems to be causing chaos among us," the older Trunks explained. Vegeta could clearly see the pain behind the eyes. Looking at the arms, he could see bloods dripping freely from the many wounds.

"I told you to stay away!" Trunks shouted from above.

Vegeta looked up and Trunks had his glowing finger pointing at the Trunks next to him. He growled. This was seriously pissing him off.

His annoying and crazy son fired the beam. Again, his body moved. He kicked the older Trunks, throwing the boy just out of harm's way.

"Umm...thanks, Vegeta," the older Trunks stuttered, shocked at the near success on his life. Vegeta turned to his son, meeting the boy's callous eyes. Saiyans had seen much in the world, the cruelty, the brutality, the ruthlessness. Vegeta had once been all that, but to see it in his own son, had turned his blood cold.

He fixed his eyes on his Trunks. He had come to save his son's life. Now he had to save his soul, too. Life, Vegeta was confident he could save. Soul...how could he save a soul when his was just as tainted?

If Trunks managed to kill the older brat, he would have to live with the consequences his whole life, a terror that Vegeta did not wish upon his son. He let out a frustrated sigh. If he must, he had to go about this the hard way. Who the hell cared if the brat hated him for life? Not he. Not Vegeta who didn't give a damn about anyone hating him. Right now, all he cared was to bring his brat back to his woman.

"Vegeta, we have to knock him out. He cannot hear us anymore. He might wake up in the real world if we can just knock him out!"

It was the only way. Vegeta rolled his hand into a tight fist and flew toward Trunks. For a moment, Vegeta saw Trunks' callous eyes returned to normal, filled with confusion. He almost stopped. He almost didn't go through with it. Gritting his teeth, Vegeta threw his arms back and sprung it forward, right into Trunks' face, almost cracking his jaw.

The boy screamed.

* * *

><p>The wide cable swelled again. It was strange. The energy source seemed to come from only one cable. Like before, the lump reached the cocoon, pushing its content into it again. The cocoon enlarged. This time, red light illuminated its outer layer, engulfing like a shield. Something was feeding this thing. What could it be? If he couldn't destroy it with his strength alone, he had to find the source of the energy.<p>

He followed the wide cable down the straight path. At the end of the cable, he saw another nest, similar to the one he was trying to destroy for the past hour; only this one was much smaller in size. Gohan quickly ran to the plate next to it and scraped off the thick layer of coating. The date, 766, was inscribed on it, which meant the other must be where Vegeta and Trunks were now. Something was happening within it. Gohan ran to the smaller cocoon and tried to remove the layer as he just did to the other. As he thought, this was different. It seemed like someone or something was trapping those within it and keeping intruders out.

Gohan threw a ki ball. As it hit the surface, it fizzed and disappeared. "Damn!"

* * *

><p><em>What did I say? I did not lie, did I?<em>

"Dad! Why! Why! Why!" he screamed and chanted, not even feeling the pain on his cheek where his dad had struck, pain that he should have felt on normal circumstances.

He was not wanted. He was not needed. He felt his chest heavy, like he swallowed a lump of rock. This feeling of unease of losing his dad was overpowering and suffocating him. All he wanted was his dad back! But his dad helped the other him. His dad threw his attack back at him and struck him and this was not even a spar! Did his dad really want him to disappear?

The more he thought about the betrayal, the more his head started to hurt. He grabbed his head and threw it back, shook it, trying with all his might to smother the excruciating pain piercing through his brain. He screamed like he never screamed before.

_Let all your anguish out. Show them your Saiyan's side. Show them what a true Saiyan is capable of. You don't need them! _

"Shut up! Shut up!"

He felt a hand on him, locking his movement. Trunks forced his shut eyes open and saw a pair of dark eyes looking into his. Was that concern?

It was a split second, the trapped part of him escaped and managed to let out a quick plead. "Dad...please help me..." Trunks pleaded in a weak and shaky voice. "Dad, don't go near him. I can't help myself. I can't stop this madness in my head. Just stay away from him!" Over his dad's shoulder, he saw the other him, floating closer and closer.

His dad's lips moved, but Trunks could not hear anything. What was his dad trying to say?

_He said he was disappointed in you. _

"Liar!"

Trunks saw his dad sighed and then raised his arm. His dad was about to attack him. His dad was trying to make him disappear! Trunks lifted his arms and pressed his palms against his dad's chest.

No. This was not his dad. This was the other Vegeta. The Vegeta from this world. His dad would never strike him!

"Father! Get out of the way!"

With his eyes sealed tight, Trunks channeled all his overflowed power. He felt movement. Too late. Too late. This was what he got for disguising as his dad.

_Thank you, Trunks! Both of you. Because of you, I'm born! And thank you, Vegeta, for playing along. Without your appearance, I never had a chance to live!_

* * *

><p>There was an unstable energy crackling in the air, zapping across all the convoluted barbs and wires, making all his hair stood up. Gohan whipped his head around. The power, that was ready to erupt, came from the same spot where he left the large cocoon. Just a few seconds ago, Gohan saw the wide cable grew to an enormous size, starting at the encased plate. He had tried preventing its movement by squeezing the passage tight. Immediately, he felt a force threw him back straight onto the floor. Gohan was not weak. He was a half-Saiyan after all. However, in the space, in this virtual world, he felt someone or something was repressing his strength. He wondered if this place operated on its own rules.<p>

Frustrated at his snail-paced advance, Gohan cursed. He rarely used those words to express his feeling. Right now, he didn't care. He was finding his incompetence very irritating. Gohan got up and took another glance at the doorway to Vegeta and Trunks. Trusting that they could handle the situation, Gohan rushed back. As he neared his target, Gohan found the cocoon grew even more, though now, Gohan saw a crack splitting from the top, zigzagging down to the base as if it was ready to hatch.

Gohan felt it, the incredible power emitting from this thing. He was there when Buu hatched from his shell. Now, he was about to witness another birth of some unknown enemy.

At the distance, Gohan saw another bump within the cable. Desperate to stop its movement at all cost, Gohan maxed out his power, feeling all his veins bulged through his skin from his intense efforts. His power rushed to his palms and as he collected all of it, he let everything out. Screaming on the top of his lungs, he fired shot after shot until all the suspended threads disintegrated into ashes and the area filled with smokes and clouds. At long last, his strength spent and all he could do was hope that he did enough. Looking up, he saw the lump halted midway to its intended target.

Relaxing, Gohan let out a breath of relief, until he saw the lump wriggled and squirmed. It, then, shot forward with speed so fast that Gohan didn't even had a chance to react. It reached its target and then there was an explosion, throwing him across the room.

Cursing again, Gohan hurried up. The cocoon was no more. In its place was what resembled a young human being, looking very ethereal, with flowing white hair running down to his waist. Though, those red eyes had given away his evil intents.

"Gohan, right?"

"Who are you!" Gohan demanded, immediately falling into a fighting stance.

"I'm an acquaintance of Trunks," the new visitor said with a smirk, briefly showing his fangs.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I can't...I just can't make Future Trunks a bad guy...sorry if the fight between them was not what you might have expected!

I'm not sure how the next chapter will play out yet. Should I go back to Goten, Piccolo, Goku, Bulma and Videl or stay with Vegeta, Trunks x2 and Gohan? Or both? Too many characters on my hand. Heh!

Thanks for reading!


	20. Chapter 19 The Voice

**A/N:** Thanks again GTIGERFAN1, KimiruMai, johncorn and Cityracer for your review! Also, thanks to all the readers! I hope everyone's having a great summer so far!

Brownies point to those who can guess the identity of the voice. ^_^

* * *

><p><strong>Game of Life<strong>

**Chapter 19 - The Voice**

* * *

><p>She was done. In her hand was the key to end all their recent dilemma. Now, all she had to do was go to the source and unfortunately, that was thousands of miles away from where she was.<p>

"Chi Chi!" Bulma screamed, hoping her voice could travel to the other end of this small cottage. She pulled the key card out of the slot and gripped it tightly in her palm.

Within seconds, Chi Chi appeared before the doorway, panting and breathing heavily. "Is something wrong?" Chi Chi asked in between gasps.

Bulma chuckled lightly when she saw Chi Chi in such a distraught state, even though she knew she shouldn't since the woman was obviously concern about her well-being. "No, just want to see if you have a car, air shuttle, anything that can get me back home," Bulma answered while shoving the key card back into her pocket. She placed her laptop aside and clumsily pushed herself off the floor, finding it extremely difficult to perform such small tasks.

"Bulma, you really shouldn't cry out like that. I thought you were in trouble or ready to go into labor or something," Chi Chi chided after her breath returned to normal. Chi Chi gave her once last disapproving look before responding to her request. "We have a car, but we haven't used it in a while. I don't think there's any gas in there."

A car running on gas? People really still own something that? Those things were antiques, Bulma thought, biting her tongue to hold back her opinion. She knew Goku and his family was very outdated, but this was like living in the ice age. Piccolo had destroyed any little mechanics that they did own and no phone. How on earth was she going to get back to her house! Who knew how long those guys were going to take? Damn!

"How do you get to the city then?"

"Well, Goku teleports us."

Bulma rolled her eyes. She supposed that was way more convenient than owning a car.

She patted her pocket. This was frustrating. Just when she found the cure to wipe out the virus. She stomped out the room, almost knocking Chi Chi over.

"Where are you going now, Bulma?" Chi Chi cried after her.

"Even if I have to walk or climb back to the city, one way or another, I'll get there!" Bulma yelled back. She was serious. Who knew how long those guys could take. Knowing them, they were probably happily fighting.

"Are you crazy? You do know how far it is right?"

"Don't give me shit, Chi Chi! I'm tired of those guys thinking that fighting is the solution to all solution," Bulma turned to face a window and yelled, "Think again, bastards! Bulma's here to save the day!"

Bulma heard a groan from behind. She turned back and saw Chi Chi shaking her head. "I don't think you'll make it half way before you drop from exhaustion."

"Bring me to your car then. I'm sure we can fix something up to make that baby runs," Bulma said confidently. Give her anything mechanic with screws and parts, she could make it come to life. She frowned. Perhaps that thought had more truth than she cared to the think, especially when it was her invention that had caused all these chaos.

"Bulma."

Bulma heard a gasp escaped from Chi Chi and she slowly turned around. Before she fully turned to face the other direction, she saw something pink from the corner of her eyes.

"Run!" she heard Chi Chi screamed and then a yank on her arm, almost removing her joint from its socket. Her feet sprang into action.

* * *

><p>"Trunks? Which one?" Gohan watched the tall creature warily as he moved away from where the cocoon used to be. The effeminate creature brushed a lock of snowy white hair from his face, revealing his oval, slanted red eyes. If this fiend was a warrior, then he picked the most inconvenient attire for battle as the looseness of the dark fabric would definitely become a hinder to its owner. Still, Gohan readied his muscles to engage in battle at moment notice, in case the fiend decided to attack.<p>

"Both, really, and not to mention, your Saiyan prince," the creature replied with a hint of playfulness and mirth. Grinning, the creature continued, "And you must be wondering how I know them?"

Gohan was a bit taken back by the lax attitude and his ability to read his thoughts. Narrowing his eyes, he took a step back and fell quickly into a defensive position. What he was feeling from the creature was indescribable. Gohan's senses were on high alert, yet, he could not feel any malice and threat from this creature's ki. It was the strangest feeling.

"That's right. Not only that, I want to know who you really are and your purpose here?" Gohan questioned with an interrogatory voice. Gohan inched back as the creature started to pace and brought one slender hand below his chin and the other supporting his bent elbow; his long dark sleeves hanged loosely from his arms. As if the question intrigued him, the creature furrowed his pale brows, pretentiously deep in thought.

The creature suddenly stopped pacing and turned quickly to face him, eyes brightened. He replied with an animated and exaggerated excitement, "A splendid question, Gohan! I suppose I have no reason to be here other than executing what I was born to do. By the way," the creature crossed one arm across his chest and bowed slightly, letting his long white hair flowed over his shoulders, down his black-colored silhouette that was filled with intricately stitched golden embroidery, "I'm Tysfia."

Tysfia...he had not heard of this name before nor did Vegeta or Trunks speak of it. Gohan's alertness heightened once again. Despite the creatures' seemingly nonchalant behavior, Gohan could tell behind the friendly mask hid a latent menace. Even now, he felt the dark power continued to work its way into his bones.

"Born to do what?"

The fiend used his finger and tapped his chin. Again, pretending to give his question serious thought. "Let's see. What does virus do best?"

"Virus..." Gohan murmured, finally understood Tysfia's real identity. This was the virus created by Trunks and now had taken a physical form.

As if reading his thoughts, the fiend answered as he dropped his hand and looked at Gohan enthusiastically, "Ah, yes, Trunks! I wonder how he's doing now? He was so much fun! I mean, it really didn't take much to rile him up. A push here and a push there and boom!" The fiend threw his arms in the air, imitating an explosion. "He was ready to take down his own father," the fiend finished with a chuckle, clearly amused at his own storytelling.

_Take down his father?_ This could not be...Gohan remembered Vegeta's reaction when he learned of the other Trunks' no show. Vegeta was visibly concern. Did something happen between the two Trunks? Now, Gohan regretted not pushing Vegeta for more answers. Even so, their Trunks would never do anything to Vegeta. The kid practically put Vegeta on the highest pedestal and accordingly to Trunks, no one in the world could match Vegeta's prowess. Gohan admitted, next to Trunks, his and Goten's love for their dad paled in comparison, so there was absolutely no way Trunks would do anything to Vegeta, not to mention that Vegeta was physically stronger.

Suddenly, Tysfia was inches away from Gohan's face, staring at him right into the eyes. Startled, Gohan involuntarily jumped. Tysfia inched closer. Gohan could feel the fiend's cold breath crawling against his skin, sending a chill down his spine. "Are you calling me a liar?" Tysfia sneered, his slanted eyes darkened to a deeper shade of crimson red, "Trunks can and he did. Frankly, so can you." A second later, the fiend disappeared and then materialized at a far end of the pathway.

Gohan suddenly had a feeling of dread loomed over him, not because of his current situation, but for the safety of Vegeta and both his sons. He had not seen them since he and Vegeta had last crossed path and that was nearly an hour ago. But this fiend didn't leave his cocoon until now, what could he possibly do to them?

"I don't need a physical body to do anything, although having this lovely and handsome body is definitely a plus, very much thanks to Trunks," Tysfia answered without being asked openly.

Gohan was absolutely certain he did not speak his thoughts this time. He narrowed his eyes again to the rather smug looking face.

Tysfia nodded with an all knowing smile. "That's right, Gohan. This is my world and I can read your thoughts like they're written on a piece of paper," the creature grinned as he casually strode toward Gohan. Again, the creature showed no sign of attacking. He was merely observing or more like toying.

He always thought he had a pretty good ability to read a person, but this Tysfia's character was all over the place in terms of personality. One minute, the fiend was elated and the next, he completely changed to a new person filled with spite. Gohan was extremely perplexed by its changing persona.

"Shall we call upon what make you tick, Gohan?" Tysfia asked from the distance, smirking.

He disappeared again. Gohan spun around and saw nothing. "Where are you?" he cried out, his voice bounced off the coated plates.

"What is your deepest desire? the voice asked. Gohan looked up and around, trying to pinpoint the location of the voice. "What's hidden deep within you that you don't want anyone to see?"

"I don't have one! I'm content with my life!" Gohan shot back at nothingness.

"Sure you do, even the all mighty Vegeta has one, though I must say, it was truly an unexpected one, coming from someone such as he," the voice chuckled and as sudden as the fiend disappeared, he materialized, and again, stood only centimeters from Gohan's face. "Do you want to know the prince's deepest desire?" Tysfia asked.

This time, Gohan reached his hands up and attempted to grab the fiend. He caught air. Gohan cursed. He tried to sense his ki but nothing, the ki vanished like the actual being.

"Just thinking about him makes me laugh," the voice chuckled and then the owner of the voice floated out of thin air. Without paying attention to Gohan, he walked straight into another path with a loose fist covering his mouth as if trying to stifle a laugh.

The fiend seemed to have the same ability as his dad, teleporting in and out of another dimension. He narrowed his eyes again, watching as the fiend continued to ignore him and amused himself with his obsession on Vegeta. "Really? The fearless and arrogant Saiyan's deepest desire is none other than wanting to learn how to care and love?"

Gohan's eyes widened for the second time as he heard the words left the fiend's mouth. He almost choked on his own saliva. The fiend was definitely spewing lies again. Though, thinking deeper, Vegeta had changed quite a bit so it was not too far-fetched to think Vegeta would want to show his more sensitive side. But why would that be Vegeta's...

Before he could finish his thoughts, the fiend answered, "Oh, even the prince himself doesn't know that was his true desire. Everyone, that includes you, has something bury deep in your subconscious mind, waiting for the right moment to emerge. I, just, help it grow just a little faster. It is indeed fascinating to see the prince struggle to keep that emotion suppressed. A seasoned warrior always has more controlled over their feeling unlike his son." The fiend's eyes brightened and snapped one finger upward, "I have to get back to them! I'm sure they're having a blast in there!"

The more the fiend talked about them, the more Gohan was sure something indeed happened, something terrible. He had to get to them somehow. Gohan fixed his eyes on Tysfia, the virus that had most likely caused the awakening of the system. Perhaps, to end all of this nightmare, he had to slay this fiend first.

"Unless you have another Bulma in your world, I doubt there is anything or anyone else that can slay me," Tysfia once again responded to his thought.

Another Bulma? _Does that mean?_

Tysfia smirked.

* * *

><p>"Bulma! Close the door!"<p>

Without thinking, Bulma slammed the door close. This would not work. A brittle door would not hold the fiend back. Just a breath from him could blow the door down. She quickly swept her eyes around the room for any sharp objects. Not like it would really help in fighting the fiend outside. Still, it was better than fighting back with bare arms. Finding nothing that could aid her, Bulma ran to the window and tried to pry it opened. Before she could even crack the window, the door blew to pieces and there in front stood Buu, frowning with his arm crossed, casually walking in. Even her clever tongue could not get her out of this situation, not like talking would get through the pink monster's thick skull.

"Bulma!" Chi Chi cried out. Her friend moved next to her and instantly fell into a fighting stance. Bulma almost forgot that Chi Chi used to be a martial artist, but she doubted that Chi Chi could even scratch Buu. At lost of what to do, Bulma grabbed the closest object, a vase, and hurled it across the room into the enemy's torso. He did not flinch and continued to advance further in. Chi Chi moved back, fists still in front of her.

"Bulma," Buu grunted, narrowing his eyes. "Kill Bulma."

"Bulma, I hold him off. Escape!" she screamed as she stepped protectively in front of Bulma.

There was no way Bulma would leave her friend behind. She grabbed another object and another, throwing it across the room, not caring if it was a cushion, pen or frame and not caring if it had any effects on the pink monster. She kept on throwing. Chi Chi joined in and started to hurl large objects like tables and chairs. As she thought, it did nothing on stopping Buu's advances and soon enough, he was standing right in front of Chi Chi. With a flick of his hand, he sent Chi Chi flying into the right wall.

"Shit! Chi Chi!" Bulma tried to run, but her path was blocked. When Buu raised his hand, Bulma brought both hands to her stomach, protecting the little one. She felt it. The impact to her right ear. She felt her body lifted off the ground and into the air. She curled her body into a ball right before it slammed onto a table stand. Her head buzzed and all she saw were swimming stars. She heard footsteps. No escape. She was facing down; her belly pressed against the stone floor. Groaning, Bulma lifted her face from the ground.

"Run! Bulma!"

From the fuzzy view, she saw Chi Chi with her arms around Buu's back, trying desperately to halt his movement. It did not take much for Buu to send Chi Chi back into the wall. Bulma feared this was the end. She did not want to die, not like this. Gritting her teeth, Bulma quickly pushed herself upward, only to meet another assault to the side of her hip, causing her body to roll to the other end of the room. The pain and agony from that kick was piercingly painful. Waves of waves of inexpressible sting shot down her nerves into her abdomen. Before her breath returned, she felt a looming shadow above her. She didn't even have the energy to prepare herself her the next impact. But as the pain shot down her stomach again, her mind reeled to the little life that had yet to be born. She clenched down hard on her teeth and forced her body to roll one full circle, just in time to avoid the crushing sound of the foot on the stone plate.

"Bul-"

Buu's word was cut off with a loud crash, followed by a battle cry.

"Bulma, are you okay?" It was a girl's voice. Bulma groaned. She wasn't okay. All the bones in her body felt like it had shattered to pieces. "Bulma?"

"Videl, get mom and Bulma out of here!"

"Bulma, can you get up?"

With much effort, Bulma nodded in affirmation. She allowed Videl to help her to a sitting position. When she opened her eyes, she saw the wall from side of the room with the window gone. "Wait here, Bulma," Videl ordered. Bulma nodded again and brought her hand to her swirling head.

"Chi Chi? Are you okay?"

Bulma looked up and saw Chi Chi's sprawling faced down on the other side of the room, unconsious. "She's still breathing," Videl said, letting go a breath of relief. Videl turned to her. "I need you to walk on your own, Bulma. Can you do that?"

She had to if all of them was to survive. She got up only to find Videl's suddenly paled. Looking down, Bulma saw what had caused the girl's distress.

There was blood. Lots of it. Her blood.

* * *

><p>"Master!"<p>

A squeaky voice called out from behind. Gohan turned back and saw a pinkish ball zipping through the dark place. With widened eyes, Gohan followed the pinkish ball's movement through space and quickly stepped aside as it shot pass him, right into the spread arms of the one named Tysfia. That was Giddymouse. They had been deceived!

"Oh, Gid! How's my cute little mouse doing?" Tysfia cooed, holding the traitor in its arm like a teddy bear, rubbing its round head.

"Master, you're finally awake!"

"So am I. Thanks to all your hard work!" the fiend smiled so widely that Gohan could barely see his eyes.

"I'm just doing my job," the critter responded with eyes twinkled with excitement, apparently pleased at the praise.

Gohan watched as the two continued to exchange words, baffled at the new development and wondered the relationship between the two. They ignored him as if he was not even a threat.

"Is everything going as planned?"

"Yes."

"Good, I have another job for you."

"Yes, Master, anything you want."

"Send message to Minat and Gizeth. Tell him it's time to do what they were born to do," the fiend said as a smirk appeared on the young face, flashing one of the white fang. "Tell them to kill them all."

At that command, Gohan tensed. He couldn't mean Videl and all his family and friends, could he?

"Them and all the life forms on your measly planet."

Gohan narrowed his eyes and asked through his clenched teeth, "What do you have to gain?"

"Power, my dear Gohan, power. I'm still growing. I feed on negative feeling and only by causing terror among your people could I gain the power I need," Tysfia explained. "Even now, I can feel their horror just from experiencing the havoc caused by my little machines. Imagine what Gizeth can do to them. Imagine the power I can gain from that!"

It was obvious to Gohan that this fiend loved to talk and not cared that he had given important information.

Tysfia roared. "Important information? What can you do with the information I give you when you're a prisoner here," Tysfia grinned, "Even if you do escape, I have no fear since you have no means of destroying me," he said arrogantly.

"Why not kill me, too?" Gohan eyed him suspiciously. Wouldn't that guarantee his survival?

"Because, Gohan, I have many others who will do the dirty deed for me. Why should I do it myself?"

This was all a game to him.

"If you say so. I do admit that I have more fun seeing you struggle than actually outright send you to your death."

Gohan growled and summoned a ki blast to his palm. Just as it reached the center of his hand, the flame died.

The fiend threw his head back and laughed. "This is my world, remember? You cannot do anything if I won't allow it."

Tysfia looked down at the traitor and flashed him an innocent smile and said, "Go, Gid. Tell them. I'm sure we have no problem convincing Gizeth," he laughed.

_I have to warn them._

"There's no way out, Gohan."

"I'll find one," Gohan said, voice filled with determination.

"To prove my words are true, I shall leave you alone. Find a way out if you can," Tysfia challenged as he disappeared once again.

Gohan was once again alone. This was bad. He had to warn them no matter what. But what about Vegeta and Trunks? Gohan turned to the path that could lead him to the plate. Vegeta and Trunks had to wait. Without Bulma, they would all be doomed anyways. He had to go back to his world. He had to fall back to sleep, at least, that was what he had hypothesized. It was worth a try. It was his only chance to escape.

* * *

><p>Goku loosened the tension from his neck. He pressed two fingers on his forehead and instantly he returned to the simulation room. He was lucky that he had made it in time. Had he arrived one minute too late, then Vegeta would be done for without even having a chance to fight his executioner. To think that his double was the one who almost delivered Vegeta to his death. As if Vegeta wasn't mad enough. Goku shuddered at the thought.<p>

Feeling the pain deep in his shoulder, he rotated it to ease the ache as he walked to Gohan. Come to think of it, Goku had never fought with himself and for some reason, he found the fight somehow annoying. They had the same moves and skills and the same thinking. It was easy to predict his counterpart's move, but at the same time, so could his double. They were locked in a stalemate for nearly half an hour before Goku finally decided to turn Super Saiyan 3. This time, he was more careful during his transformation, making sure his double did not sneak an attack while he was changing. Just as he thought, his double did not learn this trick yet, giving him the upper hand.

Goku kneeled beside Gohan and nudged his shoulder. "Gohan?" His eldest son's head lolled onto his chest. Nothing. Not even a reaction. He did the same to Trunks and extracted the same response which was nothing. He doubted that Vegeta would react to his words as well.

"I told you to stay away from him!"

Startled, Goku quickly removed his hand and tried to locate the owner of the voice. Not far from Gohan, Goku saw Trunks' face twisted in anger. A small growled escaped from his youngest son's best friend. Goku got up and went to examine Vegeta's son. "Trunks?" The boy grabbed onto his hand and gripped it with such intensity that caused Goku to involuntarily wince. Trunks twisted and turned. Whatever he was dreaming about must not be good. Goku wondered if he should force them all to wake.

He looked back at Gohan again to see if his son was experiencing the restless symptom. Gohan seemed a bit more complacent than the rest. Goku threw his hands to cover his ears when Trunks' let out an agonizing scream and then shouted out incoherent words.

Turning to the other side of the room, Goku could hear Vegeta cursing and growling. They must be having an intense nightmare. Piccolo briefly told him of Gohan and Vegeta's intention of returning to the virtual world, but he wondered now, if it was such a great idea. He should report to Piccolo first before doing anything that might harm them. It would only be a short visit to Piccolo and he would be back soon enough to make sure no one else sneaked in here to kill them. Just when he was about to leave, he heard another scream or more like a roar. Only this one was much deeper. This time it came from Vegeta. When Goku looked over at the restless Saiyan, he gasped. Where only one second ago, Vegeta was whole, now, all Goku saw was blood staining the dark fabric and flowing from his chest onto the floor. The dark-haired Saiyan grabbed his chest and gasped for air, all the while, still unconscious.

"Damn! Vegeta!" he ran to the Saiyan prince. He ripped a piece of fabric from his gi and pressed it against Vegeta's chest, attempting to stop the bleeding. Upon touching his skin, Goku could feel the crack bones from within. This was some serious injury. Forgetting his earlier decision to ask Piccolo before waking them up, Goku started to shake Vegeta, "Vegeta!" he yelled out into Vegeta's ear. No response except for the heavily breathing and the occasional choking. He tried again. "Vegeta!" Nothing.

He looked over at Gohan and then back at Vegeta. Suddenly feeling fear running down his spine, fear for his son's safety, he left Vegeta, Goku flew to the other side of the room to his son. He shook Gohan by the shoulder and yelled out, "Gohan! Wake up!" There was a slight groan.

Goku nudged him again. "Gohan!"

Another moaned escaped. He could see the eyes moving below the lids. In a few seconds, Goku could see the eyes flickering and then cracked open.

"Dad?"

"Gohan, are you okay? Where are Vegeta and Trunks?"

"How am I awake? Or did you come in?"

Goku smiled and patted his son on the back. "Glad to see back, son." Goku looked over to Vegeta's battered body and frowned. "I can't wake Vegeta or Trunks."

Suddenly, Gohan jumped to his feet. "Dad, we have to get Bulma! She's in trouble right now!"

"What about Vegeta and Trunks?"

"They should be fine for now. Bring Goten back to guard them, but we must go to Bulma right away. I'll explain later."

Before Goku leave, he ripped another long piece of fabric and walked over to Vegeta. Kneeling down, he tied the cloth around Vegeta's chest, hoping this would at least stop the beating.

Turning to Gohan, he said, "Ready?"

Gohan frowned when he saw Vegeta's current state and muttered, "I shouldn't have left Vegeta and Trunks in there."

"I think he will rather you save Bulma, Gohan."

* * *

><p>Had it not been for the warning, Vegeta would not have enough time to escape the wrath of his son. Even still, he did not escape unscathed and had evidences of fresh blood seeping through his parted fingers and a few broken rib bones to show for it. He had been careless. He had been so intent of talking some damn sense into Trunks that he did not suspect Trunks' unpredictable action.<p>

Vegeta rolled on his side and pushed himself inches off the ground with one hand, choking as he did so. When he was up in a semi kneeling position, he paused. The pain in his chest intensified from the little effort, threatening to send his conscious mind into the oblivion. Bright red color flashed before him and he shut his eyes to steady the spinning world. He did not remember the last time that he had been inflicted with this much damage. As he forced his body upright, he felt a hand on his back.

"Father, are you okay!"

"Leave me," he hissed through his gritted teeth. Removing the hand on his chest, he slapped the boy's hand away and then proceeded to push himself further away from the ground. With more determined effort, Vegeta finally made it to a stand, though it was difficult to keep his body from swaying. He took a breath and instantly his internal organs swelled with liquid. He ignored it and just used one hand to press against his wound. Blinking the pain away, Vegeta looked up. Even from down here, he could see his son's aura burning uncontrollably. One second it would dissipate to barely a spark and the next, it would blaze, blanketing the surrounding air with his golden flame. The boy was in turmoil, most likely fighting his inner demon.

"I think I know why Trunks is acting the way he is," the future brat began. With a sigh, the boy continued, "It's all my fault. Your son is jealous of my existence."

Vegeta was no fool. After the boy pleaded with him to stay away from the future brat, he had already guessed the reason why Trunks was so adamant on killing the future one. Even so, some force in here must have inflated the boy's inner feeling, and that force must be that annoying voice.

Glancing at the boy next to him through, Vegeta sighed. Trunks was in not better shape. He did his best to mask the pain in his arm, but Vegeta could tell it was only through sheer determination that the boy was still standing. Vegeta felt somewhat proud of the boy.

He looked up again. "This is not your fault, Trunks. This is all my doing," Vegeta said as he continued to fix his dark gaze above. He dropped his hand from his chest, exposing the red-stained raw flesh. He flexed his fingers in a ball, ignoring the scraping of the splintered bones brushing against his lungs, threatening to puncture them with any movement. He grinded his teeth. He was responsible for not realizing his Trunks had discreetly harbored self-doubts and resentment. If he had paid attention, he could see the telltale signs that the boy was concern ever since Bulma had announced the second child. Trunks had always been uncomfortable when the topic of the second child came up and his boy did not partake in the celebration, well, neither did he, but for him, it was expected.

He always knew that the boy respected him and for whatever unfathomable reason, loved him. Just like the future brat, his son had always searched for his approval, searched for the affection that Vegeta had difficulty showing. He had thought that through his decision to stay with them and protect them, he had shown that he indeed cared. He knew now. He had been wrong.

Without turning to the Trunks standing beside him, Vegeta said, "Trunks, stay down here. I don't want to agitate him more than we have to."

"Father, what do you plan to do?"

"None of your business," he answered, though not spitefully. He slowly levitated. Perhaps this place was stirring up the decency within him that even he didn't know existed. Had it been before, he would have called the boy weak, disappointed in the boy's inability to fight the demon on his own. But Vegeta once, too, had to fight those demons and even now, he had not successfully driven them away. What could a mere child do on his own?

It would have been easier to fight Trunks until the boy succumbed to his defeat. It would have been easier to knock the boy senseless until the boy could no longer move. True, Vegeta had sustained severe damages but it was not debilitating and he still had the energy to finish the job.

But.

But that would not bring back his son, at least, not an unbroken one. He had promised Bulma that he'd save their son and the proud prince had always made good of his promise.

He felt the confused ki as he levitated further up. When he came face to face with Trunks, Vegeta let go of his fist and relaxed his body. The boy's body shook violently as he stared at his own hand in disbelief, no doubt thinking that he had killed his own father. Vegeta snorted lightly. He was not so weak that he couldn't survive an attack such as that, though, to give the boy credit, it was an attack Vegeta did not wish to experience that again.

Trunks jumped, startled at his arrival. The same colored eyes as Bulma's widened in disbelief. For a second, Vegeta thought his son returned to normal. Maybe the voice had left Trunks since he could no longer hear that annoying voice. But then, Trunks' face started to twist in anger. Wishful thinking. When he stood only inches away, instead of knocking the boy out as he had intended to do before, Vegeta continued to close the distance between them. He softened his face so the boy did not feel threatened.

Trunks backed away. "What do you think you're doing?"

For the second time in his life, he held his son. "Let's go home, son."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I write shitty villains...they're just not evil enough! Oh yeah, I cheated with Goku's fight. I think there's way too much fighting already so yeah...I'll make it up to him later. I know you guys want more Trunks and Vegeta action, but I have to save it for next chapter. There will be plenty of it, I promise!


	21. Chapter 20 Father and Sons

**A/N:** Thank you KimiruMai, elleelle, Cityracer, GTIGERFAN1 and the two guests for reviewing the last chapter! I love love reading all your comments! Let's just say, these 20+ chapters couldn't have happened without your supports and this includes all readers.

* * *

><p><strong>Game of Life<strong>

**Chapter 20 - Father and Sons**

* * *

><p>It was all over. The voice was gone.<p>

He silently watched the picturesque image above with a heavy, yet content heart. Young Trunks finally calmed; his golden flame extinguished as Vegeta held him. The boy buried his face in their father's bloody chest; hands gripped firmly on the shredded fabric. The boy was almost a teenager and less than a head shorter than their father, but within their father's embrace, his younger self looked small; like a child lost in this massive world, a child who had finally found safety in their father's protection.

If they were talking, Trunks couldn't hear. Besides, he didn't want to intrude or rather couldn't intrude in their father and son's moment. He had never expected to see this scene, least of all, from Vegeta. Nevertheless, the scene felt right.

A weak smile appeared on his face. They would soon return to their world. Trunks couldn't help but wondered where his path would be from here on. He was no longer bitter at his own existence, only heartbroken that he didn't have more time to learn about this Vegeta, a father he was sure the real future Trunks would love to know. It saddened him that he was unable to bring news of this Vegeta back to the future, to the real Bulma.

Sighing, he adjusted his broken arm to stop the ligaments on his shoulder from tearing further apart. He seethed as a jolt of pain shot down the length of his arm. He waited until it subsided, then took one last look at the father and son. Whispering a quick farewell and good luck, Trunks turned around to face to uphill terrain. The miniscule droplets from the angry river sprinkled on his skins, agitating his open wounds. He ignored them and started upstream, leaving behind the father and son.

* * *

><p>The world suddenly became eerily peaceful. The oppressiveness he felt seconds ago was gone and he could breathe again. For some reason, he felt extremely tired; his body ached and his mind jumbled. He couldn't remember what happened. He vaguely remembered someone told him that they were going home.<p>

Home.

His eyes sprang open and his body jerked, though, something or someone was pinning his body in place. He could not see as his view was blocked. His fear returned. Someone was trying to trap him. He started to tremble and felt his ki started to burn.

"Stop moving, boy. Do you want to finish the job you've started?" He heard a very familiar voice grumbled with a light growl. That voice sounded awfully like his dad.

"Dad?" his voice was muffled. It took him a second to realize his face was buried in his dad's chest. He didn't even realize he was gripping hard on his dad's tank which was somehow shredded to pieces.

"Stupid kid. Finally decided to leave that hell world of yours?"

Suddenly he felt warm blood rushed to his cheek. His dad was holding him. Since that one time, his dad had never again held him like he was doing now.

His dad moved and the distance between them widened. Although he was embarrassed from the physical affections, he did not want to leave the security of his dad's warmth. He felt safe there, felt like no one who caused him harm. Disappointed, Trunks reluctantly let go. His eyes traveled up into his dad's dark eyes and furrowed brows. It was not the look of annoyance he always saw in his dad. There was pain behind those dark eyes.

Trunks caught a glimpse of red on his own shirt. He stretched the fabric and saw a huge spot of crimson blob. However, he didn't feel any pain except for the aching in his muscles and the soreness in his left leg. Confused, he raised his head. Before him was his dad. On his dad's chest was a terrible burnt flesh; blood clearly visible beyond the torn fabric. "What happened to...?" he stuttered.

"Stop being dramatic, boy. This is nothing," his dad grunted while reaching for his shoulder. He grabbed it and squeezed lightly. Then the pressure increased. Trunks could tell that his dad was using him for support. He was more hurt than he let on. "Are you planning to stay here all day? If you're done staring at me, get your ass down there."

Trunks looked down, shocked to find himself above a raging river surrounded by mountains. The last thing he remembered, he was in a desert. _How did I get here?_

The pressure on his shoulder increased, pushing him down. "Let's go."

He allowed his dad to lead him while his thoughts were elsewhere. Despite what his dad said about being dramatic, Trunks was still shocked to find his dad in this state. He turned his palms face forward, feeling his skin tingling with unknown energy. He had been fighting. With who? Was his dad's injury done by him? Why would he hurt his dad?

When they landed, his left leg buckled, almost causing him to tumble down to the ground only to be saved by his dad's weak support.

"Dad..." He raised his head and his dad gave him a quick nod before he let go, turned and looked around as if searching for something. With a sigh, his dad walked to a wet boulder, leaned against it, sliding down the rough surface of the rock until he was in a sitting position. Placing one hand over his knee and the other on his chest, his dad finally looked at him. His expression was, as always, unreadable. Trunks was looking for any indications that he was in trouble. He found none.

Another mystery that was nagging at Trunks was the fact his dad had hugged him. _Why?_

"Trunks, let's talk," his dad said, pointing at the empty space to his side.

_Talk? His dad actually wanted to talk? What happened? Why was his dad acting so weird?_

Trunks treaded cautiously to his dad's side, watching him closely. His dad had his head against the jagged rock with his eyes closed. When Trunks reached the spot, he sat. Trunks nervously glanced sideway. His dad looked exhausted, more tired than Trunks had ever seen him. Trunks once again brought his palms face forward. He couldn't get rid of the feeling that he did something really wrong.

"Dad...what have I done?"

"So you've forgotten everything. How convenient," his dad said with a snort. "Wish I can do the same when I don't want to remember certain things."

"I...I..."

"Tell me, Trunks," his dad said with his eyes still shut. "What do you think of your sister?"

It was as if a key had turned, unlocking all his suppressed memories. It all came rushing back. He dropped his gaze on his palms. They were red now, dripping with blood. He started to shiver when he remembered all the ill-feelings of jealousy and resentment that had infiltrated his every thought. It had consumed him completely and for that, he felt ashamed and also very scared.

He started to tremble when he remembered he might have been the one who killed the Vegeta of this world. He shouldn't be powerful enough to inflict the damages, much less, kill, but how else would he explain Vegeta's disappearance?

His dad...

Now Trunks was sure he was the one who had dealt the blow. Trunks threw his face into his hands, quivering at the memories. What on earth had possessed him to hurt his dad? What if he next person was his mom who would be defenseless? He was not safe to be around. Maybe he should stay here…maybe he shouldn't go back…

He felt a hand on his head. Trunks peeped through his parted fingers and saw his dad sitting upright with his hand on him as if trying to comfort him. For some reason, the gesture calmed him. Still, the horror of his own action scared him. He was capable of killing...

He felt the hand leaving his head. "Trunks, snap out of it."

"Dad, I didn't want to...I don't know why I did the things I did...and...and...I almost killed you."

"So, you remember."

Trunks nodded in shame.

"Don't let this go over your head. I was distracted or else you can't even ay a finger on me. Besides, this is but a scratch."

"But..." His palms...the red was fading. He blinked and the blood was completely gone. He had been waiting for someone, anyone to snap his sanity back in place. He never imagined in a million year it would be his dad, of all people.

"This whole shit is no fault of yours, you hear me, boy?"

Again, Trunks nodded. It did not matter what his dad said to reassure him, this whole incident would be forever with him. He was the one responsible for his mess they were in.

"You didn't answer my question."

Snapping out of his bleak thoughts and grateful for the change of subject, Trunks answered, "You mean, my sister? I feel the same as everyone."

His dad rolled his eyes. "I can smell a lie before you even start talking."

The anger returned. Why was his dad so insistent on asking him about his unborn sister? He rubbed his finger repeatedly, trying his best to hold his anger. He knew what would happen if he allowed his anger consume him. "What do you want me to say, dad? Does it matter what I think? She's coming no matter what so why bother asking me?"

"Because it's obvious you have some resentment toward her, so much so that pitiful voice had control over you."

"Are you saying I'm weak?"

"Boy..." his dad started with his eyes twitching. Trunks flinched and readied for an attack. Then his dad took in a deep breath. "I did not call you weak."

"Sorry," Trunks replied. He did not know how to respond without sounding needy and immature. "I don't know what to say..." He looked away, afraid to see the expression on his dad's face. "You and mom always talked about her and she's not even here yet. I just know it. You and mom will have no time for me when she's here. It had only been four years since you started to acknowledge me. I want another four years and another. I don't want to share." There it was. He said it. He told his dad how he really felt.

"What did I do to deserve this? Why do I have to deal to these useless human emotions?"

Trunks knew it. He knew this dad would ridicule him. He knew he should keep his mouth shut. He whipped his head away.

There was a light grunt and then a heavy, defeated sigh. "Trunks, I will only say this once. Clean your ear and listen carefully because I will not repeat it again, ever." With a slight pause, his dad continued, "You're a big pain in the ass."

Of all the things he expected his dad to say, this was definitely not one of them.

"Your immature acts with that Kakarott's brat drive me crazy. Crazy enough to wish I can blast both of you into the space and back. But at the end of the day, you're my son, the only son. It doesn't matter how many Trunks popped in from the future or the past or how many kids I'll end up having, you will always be the firstborn."

Trunks blinked.

"I'm proud to have you as a descendent of the Vegeta's royal family despite all those silly traits you inherited from your damn mother."

Trunks' eyes grew wide. Did he hear right? Maybe he should clean his ears as instructed by his dad. Trunks held still and didn't turn back, fearing his dad could see his blushed cheeks.

"But you're still a big pain in the ass."

* * *

><p>He said it. It was easier than he thought. Perhaps he had grown a heart through this ordeal. Imagine that. Vegeta with a heart. He snorted. Who would have thought? Surely, he had not foreseen this when he first came to this small planet.<p>

In truth, he was relieved his actions had brought Trunks back to reality. He side glanced at Trunks who still had his back facing him. The boy was probably shocked at his words. Let him bathe in it.

Using the boulder's wall as a support, Vegeta stood up, carefully not to puncture his lungs. This was no scratch as he had claimed, but he'd manage. When he felt he was steady on his feet, he glanced down at Trunks. The boy shifted. "Sit still."

"Where are you going, dad?"

Vegeta was contemplating whether he should tell the boy that he planned to look for the future brat. He watched Trunks with scrutiny. His wild eyes disappeared and hint of abnormality was gone. Still, it could be because the voice was no longer present. Vegeta did not trust it to completely disappear. He had a strong feeling this was not the end. What he should do now was to leave this dreaded place or at least, send Trunks on his way. However, he could not leave things as it stood now. The future brat had a right to a closure.

"To find the future brat," he said, trusting the boy to stay calm at the mention of the one he tried to destroy.

"Trunks...is he?"

There was definitely remorse in his son's voice. This was a good sign. "He's still here. I have some business with him, so sit still until I return."

"Dad? Can I come? I...I want to apologize."

Frankly, it'd be better if he had his eyes on the boy so he nodded. Vegeta turned his head to the sky. He wondered if Gohan was correct in his deduction that the only way back was to exit the same way they entered. Somehow, Vegeta thought that the solution was too simple. Maybe he should knock Trunks out right now just to test Gohan's theory.

On second thoughts, he did not know the situation in their world. Sending the brat back too early and the brat might encounter a foe greater than the one within. Sighing, Vegeta followed the future brat's ki.

He had grown soft...way too soft to even consider the safety and feelings of others.

* * *

><p>"Bulma! You're bleeding! Where are you hurt?" Videl finished checking Chi Chi's pulse to make sure her mother-in-law was well before rushing to Bulma who was sitting in a daze on the other side of the room.<p>

"I don't know..." Bulma murmured. She was holding the bottom of her belly and grimacing as if in pain. "I hope it's not her..."

The baby. Videl was no doctor and knew to nothing about pregnancy. What should she do now? When she reached Bulma, Videl hastily examined the pregnant woman, brushing her hair aside first. There was a nasty cut from the ear to the chin, but that was not the source of the blood. Her eyes traveled down lower until it fell upon the thick sweatpants. Videl groaned as she put her hand on Bulma's belly and applied some pressure. "Does this hurt?"

Bulma shook her head and bit her lips. Videl noticed Bulma had her hand protectively on the right side of pants. Bulma frowned as she indecisively glimpsed outside and back at her. Finally, she said while chewing her lower lips, "Videl...I need to go home."

"Are you crazy, Bulma?"

"Videl, please," Bulma pleaded as she glanced outside once more to where Goten and Buu was fighting. "If I don't, none of this is going to end. Vegeta and Trunks...I have to—"

"But you're bleeding!," Videl cut her off.

"It's nothing," Bulma said, dismissing her injury as if it was minor cut. Videl could tell Bulma was lying. She didn't know much but bleeding during a pregnancy was definitely not to take it lightly. Why would Bulma risk the life of her unborn?

She knew she should get Bulma to a hospital as soon as possible. Though, with the state the city was in right now, even that was not an option. Videl looked over her shoulder to the unconscious Chi Chi and back to Bulma. "I'll go get Chi Chi and we'll leave this place at once," Videl said.

Bulma nodded.

Videl hurried to Chi Chi and grabbed her mother-in-law by the arm and threw it across her shoulder. She was thankful that the wounds were superficial considering their attacker was Buu. Lifting the unconscious Chi Chi to her feet, Videl flew to the other end of the room to the waiting Bulma who was in the middle of pushing herself off the floor, grimacing as she did so.

With her free hand, Videl quickly supported Bulma by looping her arm around Bulma's waist. "Bulma, hold on tight."

When she was confident that Bulma was secured, she lifted off the ground.

Videl darted her glance out the hole in the wall. From the distance, she saw Goten engaged in a fierce battle with Buu. It would be a matter of time before Goten could not hold Buu back.

As she flew to the opening, she heard a voice from behind, "Videl!"

Her heart skipped, almost causing her to drop both women. She spun around and cried out, "Gohan!"

* * *

><p>They were alive. Thank goodness! Gohan was so worried that the vile virus' threat had already came true. Seeing all three women safe and sound, Gohan could finally relaxed.<p>

He hurried to Videl as she lowered herself to the ground, awkwardly balancing two adults in her arms. She gently released Bulma. Bulma stood wobbly on her feet. Gohan rushed to steady her. "Bulma, are you okay?"

She nodded lightly without saying a word. Gohan returned to Videl and his mom. "Videl, how's mom doing?"

"She's unconscious, otherwise doing fine, but Bulma..." Gohan followed her gaze to Bulma's lower half and saw redness in the front. The baby! Oh man, Vegeta would definitely kill them all if anything happened to Bulma and the baby. He concentrated and sigh a relief. It was faint. He could still sense a tiny beating within Bulma. Regardless, Bulma needed medical attention and soon.

"I'm okay..." Bulma said weakly. She swept her eyes around and frowned. "Where's Vegeta and Trunks?"

He casted his eyes away, unable to meet Bulma's eyes without feeling extremely guilty.

"Gohan, where are they?"

"They're back at your house," he responded with a half truth. Vegeta did not want her to know what he was really doing and Gohan respected his decision. Besides, telling Bulma right now would only cause her to panic needlessly.

"I'm going back."

"We can't now, Bulma. Dad went to help Goten. Once he's done, he can teleport you," Gohan lied. There was no way he'd bring Bulma back. Gohan dug into this pocket and pulled out his last two senzu beans.

He turned to Videl and dropped them in her hand. "Give this to mom and Bulma." He was hoping for a better reunion, but it had to wait. "Videl, can you take care of them for me?"

Videl reluctantly dipped her head in agreement. Looking up at him, she said in a pleading voice, "Gohan, take care of yourself, please." He was surprised that she didn't demand to go with him. Perhaps she understood the severity of the situation. He was grateful she had chosen to stay out of the battlefield.

He nodded and narrowed his eyes to beyond the small hill where his brother and father were battling. Buu. Even if Tysfia was behind this, it was Buu who had attacked his mom and Gohan would not forgive those who dared strike his mom. Gohan clenched his fist and kicked his foot off the ground.

"Gohan, you don't understand—"

He heard Bulma called after him. He should have stayed and listened to Bulma given that Tysfia, Minat and Gizeth were keen on killing her. There must be a reason why. Had he thought it through carefully, he could have concluded that Bulma was the one with the key to destroy the enemy. At the end, Gohan allowed his thoughts of avenging his mom clouded his rationale.

* * *

><p>Goten jumped back and then back again, avoiding Buu's attack as the fiend whipped his single antenna in half circle. Two moves later, Goten felt something wrapped around his ankle. Immediately he was lifted into the air and just as sudden, his face met the ground. With no time to react, he was once again hauled up. He quickly summoned ki to his palm and bent his body so he could see his ankle. Screaming, he released the ki into the pink antenna, blasting it into pieces. He landed on the ground in a cat-like stance, breathing heavily.<p>

As much as he didn't want to admit it, he could not keep this up.

"Bulma," Buu continued to chant and began to head toward the house.

With a quick glance, he saw Videl kneeling by Bulma through the sizable hole on the side of his house. Oh man, his mom was going to be pissed.

"Bulma."

Goten shook his head. No time to think about the future. He had to concentrate on this fight. He had to keep him away from the house. They were depending on him to distract the ugly pink monster.

"Yo, Buu! You're opponent is me!" Goten cried out, dancing and distorting his face in a taunt. When he caught Buu's attention, he sped toward the pink monster. He dropped his head slightly and rammed it into Buu's side, causing Buu to shot across his lawn into the hill beyond. Without waiting, he sped after Buu, barely avoided the pink ki shooting straight into his face. Before he could shift to the side, he felt a gummy and spongy substance around his neck.

"Arghh!" he cried as he tried to pry the pink thing from him. Every effort led to the thing tightening around his neck, preventing oxygen from entering his lungs. Goten gasped desperately for air and managed to squeeze a quick breath into his windpipe. With another frantic breath, he opened his mouth and snapped it close, biting deeply into the pink flesh. Had he had enough breath, he would have winced from the overly sweet foul taste, but his mind was on survival mode. He opened his mouth again and bit down hard and at the same time, dug his fingernails into the flesh, raking them forward.

No matter what he tried, the pink thing refused to let go. He started to see little sprinkle of white dots and his ears filled with buzzing bees. His grip loosened. No! He had to hold on. He didn't know where he got his sudden burst of energy. He didn't care. He shot his eyes open and summoned his remaining Super Saiyan power and with full force, he smoked the flesh into ashes.

Dropping to the ground and on his knees, he used a few seconds to gather as much oxygen as he could, sucking in the air in choppy breath. At the corner of his eyes, he saw Buu zipping through the air. Goten rolled away in the nick of time. On his back, he saw a boot coming down at him and seconds later it was gone. "Goten!"

"Dad?"

He saw a hand reaching down. He grabbed it and allowed his dad to pull him to a stand. He bent over and rested his hands on his knees. "What are you doing here, dad? I thought you were at Trunks' house?" he managed to ask between gasp.

"I was. It's a good thing I came here in time." He saw his dad's eyes fixed on Buu who stood unmoving, cocking his head to the side with his arms crossed. "So it's Buu now, huh?"

"I'm sorry I can't beat him," Goten said, dropping his head in shame.

He felt a hand on his head and a light tousle. "You did good, Goten. This is not any Buu. This one must be mine. You're lucky you lasted as long as you did," said his dad as he smiled down at him, "I'm proud of you."

Goten beamed and straightened when he recovered a little of his energy. He knew he had a way to go before he could surpass his dad or even Gohan. At this moment, he was happy that he could make his dad proud.

Goten turned his head when he sensed Gohan from behind. He had not seen his brother since they split. "Gohan!" Goten waved with two hands, flagging Gohan. Needless to say, he was extremely excited to see Gohan.

"Hey, Goten. We're glad you're okay." Like his dad, Gohan narrowed his eyes, glaring at their foe. "Thank you, Goten."

"For what?"

"For keeping mom, Videl and Bulma safe," his brother said as he looked down at him. "If anything happened to them, we'll all be doomed, so we all live another day because of your efforts."

It was rare to be praised by two of the people he respected the most. Goten's chest puffed with pride. He knew it was childish to let a simple acknowledgement inflate his small little ego. He couldn't help it.

He wished Trunks was here to share this moment with him. They had talked many times how much they were underappreciated. Though it was semi their fault for not training as hard as they should. Trunks always wanted Vegeta to show some affection. Goten knew Trunks was envious of how easily his dad and Gohan showed how much they cared, either by play fighting or using small gestures like tousling hairs. As for Goten, he wanted to his dad and Gohan to know that he was not a little kid anymore, that he was capable to take care of himself.

"Gohan, Goten. This is the first time we fought together as a family, right?" his dad asked.

It was true that they had never fought together.

"We'll make Buu regret messing with the Sons and with our mother," Gohan replied in a soft but dangerous tone.

His dad slapped their back.

"Let's go, Gohan, Goten!"

Goten grinned widely. For once, they included him in the fight and did not force him to the sideline.

* * *

><p>Trunks could have flown, but he enjoyed the droplets spraying at his face. Besides, he had used most of his energy on the fight with younger Trunks.<p>

He wondered if they headed back already. They probably did. There was no reason for them to linger. Goku, Gohan and the rest of the warriors of this world should still be here, oblivious that they, too, were nothing but a program. Perhaps he should seek them out and spend the remaining time with the people he knew. He wondered if he could use the time machine in this world. Maybe he could send messages to his mom of his world. Trunks was sure even if they were not real, his mother would appreciate knowing that his father was indeed a man worthy of her love.

Looking up, Trunks sighed and with a shake of his head, he muttered, "What does it matter? Not like this world will last long..."

"Hmph."

Trunks' head twisted around to the opposite side. Above him was his father and beside him was the younger Trunks. Unconsciously, Trunks stepped back and tensed. What was his father thinking? The boy just returned to normal. What if their meeting evoked unwanted feelings again? Not like he feared for his life. Since his father did the near impossible and brought back his younger self from the brink of insanity, Trunks didn't want to see his father's effort go to waste.

When Trunks was certain that his presence did not agitate his younger self, he relaxed. If his father deemed it was safe to bring his younger self along, then he should trust him.

Still, why did they seek him? He had hardened his resolve and left quietly. "Fa..." he began and then corrected himself, "Vegeta."

"Hmph. So I'm not good enough to be your father, is that right, brat?"

Trunks' eyes widened and stared at his father. Did he hear right?

They descended, standing only a few feet away. His younger self took a step forward, his gaze fixed on his broken arms. There was definitely guilt in those eyes.

"This is nothing," Trunks said with a weak smile.

"Trunks, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." his younger self said as he raked his fingers through his hair, seemingly at lost of words.

Trunks did not blame him. Truth to be told, had their position been reverse, he was sure he, too, would have succumbed to that persistent voice. "Don't worry. I'm glad you're back," he said reassuringly and stole a quick glance at his father. "Father was worried. I'm sure he's happy you're back as well."

That had extracted a reaction from both Vegeta and his son. His father growled and his younger self turned back to his father with a shock look on his face.

As he thought, his father promptly retorted. "Mind your own business, kid."

Trunks couldn't help but chuckled. If his father didn't say anything to his younger self yet, then Trunks felt he should do the honor. His younger self had a right to know that their father indeed cared for his well-being.

Changing the subject, Trunks asked, "Father, why haven't you returned?"

"You asked a question I didn't answer," his father responded.

"And that is?"

"Unfortunately for me, brat, I have extraordinary memories. Wish I didn't," his father said without moving from the spot.

Trunks blinked and stitched his brows, baffled at his father's words. Was his father referring to his good memories of remembering his question?

"Stupid brat," his father snorted.

"I don't understand," Trunks admitted. He looked at his younger self for an explanation. His younger self shrugged his shoulder, looking just as confused.

"Forget it. You can think on that. I'll be on my way," his father grunted and spun around.

"Wait, father."

His father paused.

"Thank you for everything," he managed to say. As the words left him, he felt the heaviness lifted from his chest. Without waiting for his father's response, which he knew he'd get none, he turned his attention to his younger self.

"Trunks..."

* * *

><p>From the corners of his eyes, he saw those two brats babbling with each other. It was a bit unnerving to see two almost identical faces conversing, especially knowing they were technically the same person.<p>

"Please let mother, Gohan, Goku and everyone know, I'm happy to meet all of them." It was obvious that the future brat did not trust him to relay the message as the brat appointed Trunks to pass on the words. Not that he cared.

"Will do."

Not so long ago, those two were fighting as if it was the end of the world. Now, they stood face to face, smiling. Kids. Vegeta rolled his eyes. Simple-minded fools.

While those two were chatting, Vegeta made his way to the driest tree trunks and lowered his body to the ground. Those two followed his movement. With a wave of dismissal, he grunted and said, "Carry on."

Vegeta pressed on one of the broken rib bones. Already, he could feel his Saiyan's blood healing his internal injuries. It would not be long until he could maneuver without any pain. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, giving his body more rest. He cracked his eyes into a tiny slit so he could keep a watchful eye on those two brats.

"I know we didn't meet on good terms."

No shit. Vegeta snorted. And he was smacked in the middle of their fucking feud.

"Anyways, I hope we're good now. I'm returning your father back to you."

Vegeta rolled his eyes beneath his lids. It was still a mystery as to why these brats found him so great. On Vegeta-sei, brats did not know their parents. They were either shipped to another planet or drafted into an army. Only ones with royal bloods, such as he, had a chance to know their sire. Even then, they had spent more time training rather than bonding. If there was such thing as bonding on Vegeta-sei, it was through bloods and gores.

His brat replied, "Trunks, I mean it. I'm sorry. Now that I thought about this, it would be cool to have a brother even though you're technically me."

"Same here. It would be nice to have a younger brother."

This was the last thing he needed. More teenage hormones running around under his roof. He read about those diseases kids acquired when they reached the age of eleven or twelve. Perhaps this was the reason why Trunks was susceptible to outside influences, more so than the future Trunks.

"Father," the future brat called out, disturbing his rest. There was a moment of silence and then the future brat continued in a cautious voice, probably afraid of his reaction. "Let me see you off. I'll protect your bodies in case we have intruders."

"Protect our bodies? What do you mean?"

Right. He forgot to tell his brat. If he waited, the future one would start yapping, saving him the trouble of moving his mouth.

Sure enough, the future brat answered, "Apparently, the way out is the way in, at least that's what we think. Worth a try, right?"

"I don't know how I came in..."

"Go to sleep, Trunks," he grunted, tired of their blabbing. "That's how we came in."

"Dad, I don't know if I can go to sleep. What if the voice returns? I don't know if I can fight it."

Vegeta opened his eyes and fixed it on the future brat. "Knock him out."

"What?" they both exclaimed, mouth wide opened and all four eyes of the same color stared back at him in disbelief. It was indeed disturbing to see the same reaction on the identical faces.

Frankly, he had a feeling the voice was simply hiding out, bidding its time for devil knows what. However, they had to take the risk. Sighing, Vegeta closed his eyes again and said, "Trunks, you're stronger than you think. Just tell that damn voice to bother me if it returns."

He heard Trunks groaned and mumbled in a very low voice as he dragged his feet toward him. "This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. Going to sleep? What kind of escape is that?"

"Shut up, kid, before I order the brat knock you out."

* * *

><p>Trunks smiled as he watched Vegeta and Trunks leaned against the trees, almost side by side with their eyes closed. Aside from the hair color, they shared many distinctive features such as the forehead, the same ripple between their brows when they frowned. They were definitely father and son.<p>

Turning back to the raging river, Trunks laid his sword beside him. He was glad they came back for him. It was definitely more light-hearted than he had expected, especially with all the drama that had happened recently. He enjoyed his last few minutes he had with Vegeta and reconciliation with his younger self.

Though it'd be nice if his father wasn't so cryptic about his reason for coming to see him. Extraordinary memories? Then, Trunks remembered the question he had asked before they entered this world. Trunks chuckled lightly. His father was a strange man. Even stranger was his way of responding.

In his own way, his father told him that he'd remember his existence.

He turned back again and whispered, "Thank you, Father."

He might be seeing things. He swore he saw the side of his father's lips curled.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Wheww! Trunks is back to normal. I was waiting for this as much as all of you. I hope you don't find his recovery too rushed. I noticed when writing psychological damages, it's that much tougher to bring the character back to normal without all the angst. I will never attempt writing mind games again! Lol!


	22. Chapter 21 Choice

**A/N: ***Sigh* I'm not going to give myself a schedule to update. Summer is tough for writing especially when the great outdoor continues to call for me. Updates will be slower, but don't worry, I will finish this!

As always, much thanks to GTIGERFAN1, KimiruMai, A reader, Cityracer, tigercub625 and Guest for reviewing the last round!

* * *

><p><strong>Game of Life<strong>

**Chapter 21 - Choice**

* * *

><p>Spitting out the dirt in his mouth, Piccolo pushed himself off the soiled earth. Floating above him were the cowards who he had been pursuing since he split from the group. Goku and Goten had described them as weak and pitiful, which Piccolo had wholeheartedly agreed about fifteen to twenty minutes ago. Now, these monsters somehow increased in their fighting power and became much more formidable in mere seconds. Piccolo cursed. He had underestimated these fools.<p>

It was time to get serious. He ripped the cape and threw it aside; his heavy fabric dropped and created a minor cater in the soft soil. He did the same with his turban and his wristbands. When he was done unloading all the weights on his body, he cracked his knuckles to signal that he was ready. This time, he'd ensure victory over those losers.

"Do you feel that, Minat?"

Piccolo's antenna twitched in aggravation when they had deliberately ignored him. With a little boost in their power, it seemed they had become arrogant. Piccolo snorted. Not so long ago, the one with the white face was practically on his knees begging.

"Check this out!" the one named Gizeth cried out. Gizeth placed two fingers on his forehead. That stance looked similar to Goku's instant transmission. What the hell? In addition, Piccolo had seen a bit of Frieza's in their fighting style. What could this mean? He waited for the cowards' next move. The horn-headed face scrounged his face in deep concentration for a few seconds and then dropped his hand.

"Minat, this ability is stupid," Gizeth spat, "I've to concentrate on ki's we know."

Piccolo threw his head back and laughed despite the situation. For enemies, those two were not too bright. Goku's instant transmission indeed had restrictions and because these two were not of this world, Piccolo suspected they were limited to the places they could reach. Also...Piccolo darted his eyes to the shattered dragon ball radar and snorted...they were on their way to find the inactive dragon balls. It was a good thing Trunks and Goten used up the last two wishes a month ago.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" Gizeth snapped.

Not answering would probably piss off the red-faced one. Piccolo grinned when his prediction was right. To see red turning purple was aesthetically interested, Piccolo mused as he watched Gizeth began to fume.

"Gizeth, calm down," Minat said halfheartedly, devoid of emotions. That ugly one with the white face was silent ever since he had learned of the dragon balls. No doubt the truth had smashed their grand plan, whatever that was.

Piccolo ascended into the air and gradually approached them. Instead of facing Gizeth, Piccolo shifted around so he was face to face with Minat. At least this one was capable of having a semi intelligent conversation. "What is your purpose in this world?" Piccolo questioned as he stared into those dark, pitiful eyes. Piccolo had a bad habit of drilling his enemy for information before destroying them.

To Piccolo surprise, Minat willingly relinquished an answer. "Believe it or not, my desire is freedom. I wish to see the beauty of this world had to offer," Minat sighed and lowered his eyes. then averted his gaze. "I meant no harm to the inhabitant."

"Stop with your pathetic talk, Minat!" The fiend whirled around and Gizeth was now staring at him with a snarl. "Listen, green face slug, I have every intention of wiping this planet clean, starting with you!"

Ready for the predictable punch, Piccolo caught the fist and twisted it until the whole arm bent awkwardly to the side. Gizeth grunted in pain. Suddenly, the fiend spun his body like a windmill, following the direction of the twist, freeing himself from the tight knot. Piccolo saw a pink blade forming in the fiend other arm. He flew up when they let the blade loose.

"Hmph. I thought all you want is freedom, then why all the killings?" Piccolo had a feeling the other one was the rational one. If he could get through to him, he might find a weakness or two. Piccolo dodged another punch and another, feeling the speed increasing with every move.

"Piccolo, destroy the simulation and we will disappear from this world. That is the only way." Minat said with a jerky voice from all the fast-paced movement. This was not the respond he expected.

Gizeth halted and pulled his face into a deeper snarl. "Shut the hell up, you spineless, good for nothing bitch! Do you want to return to that damn dark place!"

Piccolo glided back, watching the two with interest. The fiend was offering him the obvious, something he already knew. Not particularly helpful.

"To stop you, then yes."

It seemed to Piccolo that the two were at odds with each other. Perhaps he could use it to his advantage. They might know something about Trunks.

"What about Trunks? How do we get him back?"

"Enough talking! Minat, you're going to regret this! I have control of this body and I will not think twice getting rid of you!"

"I am prepare, Gizeth. Do as you wish. I care not. I cannot turn a blind eye to your insanity and your monstrosity."

"Insanity?" Gizeth slapped the back of his head into the face of Minat, causing Minat to flinch. "You think you're all mighty and good, don't you? You think I'm the monster, don't you? Think again, Minat! You're just as disgustingly immoral as I am. Remember, I couldn't have done what I did without you!"

"This is true and now I deeply regret the error of my way."

"Oh, shut the hell up!"

Piccolo arched his brow when Minat glanced his way. There was sadness in those eyes. Piccolo was a bit taken back. Truth to be told, he had never encountered a remorseful enemy before. Arrogant, over-confident, sadistic and whatever negative adjectives one used to describe evil, he had met them all. Though, they must be putting on an act, Piccolo eyed them cautiously and suspiciously.

"Be wary of the pink mouse. He works for another, the mastermind. Gizeth also has a weakn—"

"Minat, you talk too much!" There was another pink ki in Gizeth's palm. Piccolo summoned his energy to his finger, ready to counteract. Gizeth raised his hand and Piccolo did the same. "I have enough of you!"

In the next second, Piccolo almost shot his signature move, only to hold back when Gizeth bent his arm backward and held the pink ki right into the face of his partner.

* * *

><p>This world, however, beautiful was not his to admire. He looked up in the sky, the vast sky. It was one of the many wonders his virgin eyes had first witnessed. He had fallen in love. It was love at first sight. Perhaps it was that love that had fueled his persistency in pursing the ever elusive freedom. It was when he learned the truth of the dragon balls that he realized at last...he was fated to be a prisoner, a prisoner in a body he could never control.<p>

The heat of his partner's ki warmed his face. Alas, Minat would be free. He missed that room where he could find solace in the simulated wilderness, the open fields and the colorful, gentle vegetations. Minat let out a soft sigh. If he could begin anew, perhaps he'd plead with his makers for a chance, a chance to be part of their world. It was all too late. He had done much damage. For that, he'd atone for polluting a perfectly wonderful world. He shall return to nothingness.

* * *

><p>Piccolo stood still, stunned and speechless, watching silently as Minat looked up in the sky as if in a trance, then lowered it in contentment.<p>

"Destroy the virus and your world will be free...be wary of the one who lives within..."

Piccolo saw a sorrowful smile flashed through jagged layer of crooked teeth before the blast blew the white face into pieces.

"Damn, that fucking hurt!" Gizeth screamed and shook his head violently. Behind him, Piccolo saw the remainder of the Minat. Half the face was charred beyond recognition, the other half, hung frozen in an endless, painful death. To think, it was his ally who had delivered the final blow. Piccolo pitied the poor soul. Though, it was a shame he could not gather more useful information.

It did not take long before Gizeth relaxed. He rubbed the back of his head and poked the inside his ear. While twisting his finger, Gizeth smirked, "Finally, some peace and quiet. Now, where were we?"

* * *

><p>It had been roughly ten minutes since his father and his younger self closed their eyes. Trunks had moved to the other side of the river, close enough to keep his eyes on them, but far enough so his presence wouldn't prevent them from entering the world of slumber.<p>

Mirroring his father's position, Trunks rested his good arm on his bent knee; his face still frozen with a smile he couldn't wipe away. He had tried but as he thought about his father's words, butterflies started to flap within him, bringing the silly grin back. He wondered if this feeling would ever disappear, not that he wanted it to.

"Touching, isn't it?"

Trunks jolted and sprang off the rock when someone materialized right next to him. A man in black attires sat inches away, on the boulder with his chin on the base of his palms; elbows connected to the knees. Trunks didn't even detect a single ki aside from his father's and young Trunks'. Where the hell did he came from?

The creature gazed across the river to where his father and his younger self were, with his head slightly tilted to the right, seemingly bored. Even though Trunks did not see the creature before, he could instantly recognize the voice. It was the voice that had been talking to him since he stepped into the simulation room; the one that had pitched young Trunks' against him. Trunks drew his sword from the sheath and laid the sharp edge on the creature's shoulder. Angling it, the blade met his neck, only the white hair prevented it from touching his skin. In a low dangerous voice, Trunks stated, "I see you've decided to show your face."

Either the creature couldn't feel the blade against his neck or he was simply too arrogant to care, the creature made no attempt to move. In a bored voice, the creature said, "It's a shame you didn't listen to me or it could be you over there instead of Vegeta's son. A shame…" The creature shook his head. "You pretty much suck all the fun out of this." The creature patted his mouth as he yawned and then swiped an invisible tear with a flick on his finger.

Those words no longer had an effect on him. He would not betray his father. Ignoring the creature's words, Trunks kept his sword secured, moving only when the creature shifted around. It was obvious the creature was belittling him, thinking he would not carry out his threat. Trunks pressed the blade deeper. "Do you think I won't kill you?"

"Oh, Trunks. Not that you won't, it's more like you can't."

Maybe it was the bored confident he detected in the creature's voice, Trunks found himself believing his words. Whoever he was, Trunks was sure the creature did not come to have a friendly chat. Trunks ran his eyes up and down the creature, trying to assess his power. On the surface, the creature did not look a bit threatening. If anything, one would mistaken him for a her. Though, Trunks had learned, never to judge solely on appearance. This one was capable of messing with their mind and that alone was enough for Trunks not to take him lightly.

The fiend removed his palms from the chin and flipped his ridiculously long hair, all the while, disregarding the blade as if it was but a toy. Still, Trunks held it there.

"You got good instinct, Trunks," the fiend beamed. "Yes, yes, I'm powerful and beautiful, smart and funny."

Trunks tried hard not to roll his eyes, but despite his effort, he did anyways. In his given memories, he had never met someone so narcissist and so vain.

"It's called confidence, Trunks."

"You're reading my mind," Trunks said flatly, slitting his eyes into a narrow line. He pressed his sword deeper, even knowing it was probably useless against this fiend.

"I am, aren't I? Well, I can't help it. You think so loud," the creature laughed, fully enjoying the teasing game.

Trunks scowled. He did not appreciate being mocked at. Before he could say another word, the fiend started to move. With two fingers, the fiend gripped the blade and pushed it upward as he straightened into a stand. Trunks asserted his power to prevent the fiend's movement, but it felt like more he tried, the more his power seemed to escape. "Huh?"

When the fiend removed his fingers from the blade, Trunks felt his power returned. The fiend snickered. "I told you I was powerful."

This was not good. Side glancing across the river, Trunks noticed his father and young Trunks were still oblivious to the new enemy's arrival. He had to keep it that way. It had to show his father he was capable of keeping his promise. Trunks returned his attention on the fiend. Keeping his voice cold and poised, Trunks snorted and said, "This is all trickery. You're just messing with my mind like you did before. I do not fear you."

Even as his voice was calm and confident, inside, Trunks felt the complete opposite. He knew full well, the fiend was as formidable as he self-proclaimed. Even so, Trunks was prepared to fight. He raised his sword and brought it down only to slice it through the rough rock. Cursing, Trunks swung slightly to the side and found the creature gliding on the angry river as if it was a flat surface. When did he get there?

"They awake. Now the fun begins," the creature said as he twisted his head around, flashing a wide grin.

* * *

><p>Right, left, right, left. That was basically the only movement he had been making since engaging Buu. On the other side of Buu, Gohan was also throwing punches without much success of landing a hit on Buu. With speed above both Goku and Gohan, Buu continued to block with ease. Goku skipped back when he saw a chain of small ki blasts shooting straight at Buu. Gohan sped upward and quickly twisted around. Like Goten, he threw a few ki blasts of his own. Buu received them without flinching. After the smoke dissipated, Buu stood still with his chin against his chest, eyes closed. Goku pressed a finger on his lips, signaling Gohan and Goten to wait.<p>

Even if this was a replica of Buu, who was unpredictable during fight, still, to stop in a middle of an intense battle was strange. Though, it was not like it didn't happen before.

Goku waited for any movement. Nothing. Goku let out a long breath. He could use a break and use the time to regroup with his sons and plan a different strategy.

As if reading his thoughts, Gohan slowly approached him, probably careful not to wake Buu. "Dad, the last time we destroyed Buu, you used the spirit bomb. He's much stronger this time. How do we take him down?" Gohan asked. His blue aura was still shining fiercely even when they had fought for the past half hour. "Goten's already tired and Bulma needs medical attention."

Goku crossed his arms, lowered his head and brought his hand to his chin. Gohan was right. They couldn't keep prolonging this fight, but he, too, was at lost at how to quickly end this. He could use the spirit bomb again, though, they'd need ample time to form a size large enough to decisively destroy Buu. At the corner of his eyes, he saw Goten swaying toward them, barely managed to stay afloat. Goten could not distract Buu so that only leave Gohan. Goku shook his head. It was too risky. He could not put his sons in harm's way, not when he recently learned a valuable lesson from Vegeta. Family should always come first. There was another way, however...

"Gohan, Vegeta and I could have beaten a version of Buu. I think the same method can still work."

Gohan arched his brow. "What are you suggesting, dad?"

"Fusion. However..."

"However, I have not learned the dance." Gohan finished his sentence and sagged his shoulder.

"Goten, come over here," Goku waved his son over while he continued to keep an eye on Buu. So far, Buu remained still except for the occasion bubble blowing and swiping of the nose. Well, sometime picking it too.

Goten landed between Gohan and Goku, hands immediately fell onto his knees. "Yes, dad?" Goten asked in short breath. Goku could see his son's sweats spotting the thin layer of his light blue T-shirt. Even Goku felt a bit strained from the battle, so he could only imagine what Goten was feeling.

"Gohan, you have fifteen minutes to learn from Goten. Can you do it?"

There was a slight hesitation and then Gohan nodded. Sighing, Gohan asked, "Is there no other way?"

"Don't tell you're embarrassed, Gohan," Goku joked despite their tight situation.

""What about you, dad?" Gohan asked.

Goku frowned when he saw Buu awake. The short pink Buu stretched from side to side and did a few squat. "I'll hold him off," Goku said as he flexed his muscles, calling forth all the power within him. Super Saiyan 3 was very draining. He couldn't last that long in the form, which was why fusion was their only choice.

"Dad, be careful. We'll be back!"

* * *

><p>The baby picked the damnest time to come into the world. Bulma sucked in a deep breath and then let out a grunt. Finally, the first wave was done with. When her body returned to normal, if that was even possible at the moment, she felt like crying out a sea of frustration. The lump in her throat grew, blocking air from entering her windpipe. She swallowed. More than ever, she wanted Vegeta by her side. Her man was not good with words, never had been. She would be fortunate if she could force him to say something pleasant. Nevertheless, his presence had always calmed her when she was stressed and when she was worried. <em>Vegeta, where the hell are you!<em>

"Videl, find us some water," Chi Chi said with a little urgency in her voice. Chi Chi had returned from unconsciousness when Videl fed her the senzu bean. Frankly, Bulma thought the guys should save those for themselves. Senzu beans were notorious for their long harvest time and only a few beans sprout with each batch.

Breathing was becoming hard. The humidity was not helping. Bulma felt a dry cloth on her forehead. She opened her eyes and saw Chi Chi studying her while wiping the perspiration away. "Bulma, you cannot give birth here. We have nothing but rocks and dirt."

Yes, fate loved fucking with her. Her chance of fixing that machine was gone when she got stuck in yet another dark cave. Her first contraction was gods know how long ago. All she knew it happened shortly after they found a hideaway far enough to be out the Goku, Gohan and Goten's way. From her past experience with Trunks' delivery, the next contraction would depend on how far she was into her labor. She hoped the next one was far, far away…better yet, a month and a half from now, her real due date.

"No, Videl. Forget the water," Bulma whispered in a tired and cracked voice, cracked from all the screaming she had been doing. She tried to lift her head from the cold makeshift stone pillow, but the last contraction had taken a lot of energy from her. She only managed to raise her head slightly. "Come here." Videl's face appeared above her, wrinkles clearly visible between her brows. The girl was distraught. Bulma bet the girl had not been in these situations before, Bulma thought as she let out an inaudible sarcastic laugh. This would be good for the girl since Videl would one day be a mother, if this delivery did not scare the girl away. "Reach into my pocket and take out the card."

Videl did as she was told. "What's this, Bulma?"

"The key," Bulma replied. She had no choice. She could not leave this place even if she wanted to. Besides, without them to carry, Videl should be able to make it back to her house in shorter time. But...she hoped that Videl could follow her instruction. It was not as simple as shoving the card into the machine and press a button. "Listen carefully, Videl. You have to go my house. Use this on the main frame computer-"

"I can't leave you and Chi Chi out alone. I promise Gohan I'll take care of you."

"Videl..." Bulma tried to be patient. The girl had to realize that no matter how strong Gohan and Goku were, the system could create more. If she had interpreted the code correctly, the virus had an ability to manipulate and enhance. Truthfully, Bulma wondered if she was too late. No. She was a genius and anti-virus program she had written was impeccable. She had to believe in her own ability. "You're no help here," Bulma said bluntly. If Goku could not defeat Buu, none of them would stand a chance. "Only this—" Bulma fixed her eyes on the card in Videl's hand. "—can save us."

"Bulma, we should wait for Goku. He can teleport there faster."

Frustrated at the women's inability to understand the severity of the situation, Bulma growled. The virus was still growing. Another minute spent talking, the virus could transform into another type, then all her work would be in vain. If she could be at the house, she could still be write another program, but as thing stood now, they could only rely on this card.

"Damn it, Chi Chi! We don't have time, don't you understand?" Bulma shot up from her sleeping position. The frustration she felt had temporarily refueled her energy. Bulma glared at Chi Chi and then shot the same glare at Videl. "You might not care what's going to happen to Goku, Gohan and Goten, but I sure give a shit about Vegeta and Trunks!"

"That's not fair, Bulma," Chi Chi said as she sat on her bottom. She crossed her arms. "My babies are out there fighting. With Buu! The one who had destroyed our planet. I'm just as worried as you are!"

Bulma immediately felt guilty for lashing out Chi Chi who had been taking care of her, making her feel as comfortable as she could during her contraction in this humid cave, not to mention, the one who had protected her from Buu at the risk of her own life. "I'm sorry, Chi Chi."

"I'll go," Videl cut in. "Bulma, tell me what I have to do."

The cramp returned. This was too soon. Bulma felt cold sweats forming from her back. She bit down hard on her lips. She had to hold on until she explained everything to Videl. She could not miss a single detail.

"Videl..." Bulma said between her clenched teeth. "Insert this in the main frame computer..." She took a deep breath. "Bring up the file from the card..." She gritted her teeth harder. "Find a file with..." The cramp increased and Bulma was forced to let out a groan. Bulma fell on her elbows and clamped her eyes shut as a wave of pain surged through her body. Her delivery with Trunks was smooth and the contraction was not as intense. This one...had almost immobilized her. _Where are those fucking drugs? Where the fuck is Vegeta? _

"It's happening again. Lay down, Bulma." She heard Chi Chi said and then felt hands on her shoulders.

"No...I have to finish..."

"Bulma, please stop talking! Let's take care of this later!" Videl screamed. "Chi Chi, is Bulma supposed to bleed this much?"

_Bleeding...there should no bleeding during labor! The doctor visit! The doctor had told her this will be a difficult pregnancy..._Suddenly afraid, she reached her hand up, grabbed hold of Chi Chi and pulled the woman down. "Chi Chi, you have to save her!"

"I'll try, Bulma. I'll try! But I have no experience with this!"

"I don't give a shit what happen to me. Save her..." Bulma choked and fell back down on the cold stone. The pain was beyond excruciating. _Vegeta! Where the fuck are you?_ The thoughts continued to fill her mind as the cramp consumed her.

* * *

><p><em>Bulma! <em>His woman was crying for him. He felt it. Damn it! With all the shit with Trunks, he had almost forgotten about Bulma. Something must have happened to her. He should have never left her alone. But he was only one person so how the hell could he be in two places at once?

"Indeed, Vegeta. As strong as you are, you are only one."

Vegeta felt like blasting that sissy looking shithead into pieces. "I told you once to get the fuck out my head," Vegeta scowled. He already had a feeling they could not leave this dreaded place so easily. He had fought enough battles to know that until one side was defeated then the war could truly end. Now, not only was he stuck; he also had Bulma to worry about. He had kept her away from the chaos of the city and naively thought that the countryside was enough to keep her safe. He was an idiot. Vegeta scoffed at himself.

"Vegeta, I can let you walk out of here—"

"Father, don't listen to him."

The older Trunks stood on his right while Trunks stood on his left. Vegeta quickly darted his eyes to the left. Trunks did not completely recover from the foul intrusion to his head. The brat tried to hide it but Vegeta could see the boy trembling whenever the sissy talked. Normally, Vegeta would chastise the boy for his weakness. No son of his should cower in front of an enemy, but considering this was an enemy who attacked the mind, Vegeta reluctantly let it go. He made a mental note to himself to train the boy, both mentally and physically.

As much as he worried about Bulma, he had to finish business here. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could find out what was wrong with Bulma. Vegeta stepped forward, letting his body blocked the fiend's view from Trunks. "As if I will listen to a damn woman," Vegeta snorted.

The tyrant's chuckle caused Vegeta's brow to twitch in annoyance. What the hell was so funny?

"You're too funny, Vegeta. You always listen to your _woman, _so hearing that from you, well, sounds just a little unconvincing."

"You don't know shit about me, bastard." Vegeta gritted his teeth and slowly summoned his ki to his palm. The sissy did not look so tough and was probably only capable of playing mind games. One blast and the shithead die.

"But I do. I know you care about him," the sissy grinned, pointing at Trunks, "—and him." Vegeta followed the sissy's finger to the future Trunks. "Oh yeah, isn't there one more?" The sissy snapped his fingers and slightly above him, a circular screen appeared.

Vegeta tensed and his heart almost stopped. The ki in his palm faded and then completely disappeared. Vegeta dropped his hand.

"Mom!"

Bulma! He knew he shouldn't leave her with those damn Sons! Vegeta threw his head back at the tyrant. "Let me out or you will regret confining a very pissed Saiyan," Vegeta threatened with his low, slow and very dangerous voice.

"First of all, Vegeta, you can stop calling me sissy. I do have a name. You can call me, Tysfia. Secondly, I do not dare confine you. The door is open. You can leave anytime. However..." The fiend smirked and pointed at Trunks. "He must stay."

"Like hell he will!"

"Father, the three of us can take him down," his older brat whispered. Vegeta could feel the older brat's ki rising. "The more we talk, the more we fall into his trap."

The tyrant turned his attention to his Trunks. "Trunks, Trunks," the tyrant clucked his teeth and shook his head. "Look at your mother, suffering and crying for your father. And all because of you. If you had listened to your mother like a good boy and stayed away from the system, I would have never been born. Then all this would have never happened. Now, your father's here to save the brat you are and your mother is out there holding on to her dear life," the bastard let out an exaggerated sigh, "You're such a bad boy."

Vegeta's snapped, "Leave him the hell alone!"

"Dad, he's right. This is all my fault. Leave me here. Save mom. She needs you."

Vegeta whipped his head to Trunks, pissed at what he was hearing. He did not need the brat to start blaming himself. He needed the boy to pull himself together so they could crush that sorry excuse of an enemy. "Trunks, if I hear you say that again, I'll smack that shit from your head."

"How touching! Vegeta, to think, the all mighty Saiyan with human emotion."

Vegeta had enough. He shot forward and pulled his elbow back and then thrust his fist into the shocked face of the fanged sissy. Vegeta smirked when he finally peeled the disgusting grin from that pansy face. Just as his fist reached the face, the bastard disappeared. He saw movement above and immediately, he shot a ki into the air.

There was a high-pitched shriek. Vegeta smirked again when he saw the sissy twisted in pain. Without waiting for the tyrant to recover, Vegeta shot up, turning Super Saiyan in the process and blasted another ki ball from his palm. "Die!"

"Noooo!" Vegeta heard the tyrant screamed as the blast met its target. The smoke from the contact had obstructed his view so Vegeta was not sure of the damage he had caused. When the smoke disappeared, Vegeta was face to face with the tyrant's beaming face. "Just kidding."

Growling, Vegeta slammed his fist into the annoying grin again. The tyrant danced backward, easily avoided all his attack in fluid motion. Behind the tyrant, Vegeta saw the older Trunks swung his sword down, cleaving the tyrant down the middle. The two slanted wide eyes separated, falling further and further apart as the body split into two. The tyrant didn't even have a chance to utter a sound. "Hmph! You're not so tough after all."

"Dad, behind you!"

Vegeta spun around and tyrant hovered a few feet away; his sleeve covered his mouth. He heard that annoying chuckle again.

"This is quite fun," the tyrant snickered as he disappeared and reappeared behind the older Trunks.

The older brat twisted around and swung his sword again, but this time, he sliced air. "Damn!"

"Tell you what, Vegeta. I'm feeling very generous right now. I'll give you two choices." The tyrant sprang one finger up. "One, you can leave both of them behind and save your wife. I will not stop you if you choose to leave." Another finger appeared beside first. The tyrant turned to the older brat and smirked, "Two, if you kill him with your own hand, I'll let both you and your son leave this place. Remember, he's not real and he can't leave anyways. This should be easy for you," the tyrant finished with a cackle.

"You forgot the third choice," the older Trunks sneered.

"Oh?"

"We'll kick your ass." His Trunks joined in and cornered the tyrant on the opposite side of the older Trunks. "And then dad and I go save my mom!"

"Do try. I'm happy to play with you until you're tired. But remember, while you're in here, your mother is out there. I wonder how long she'll last. Can't you feel her pain? She wants to see your father before she takes her last breath."

The tyrant phased out and materialized on the top of the thick tree branch. With a snap of his finger, he brought forth a steaming cup. He took a sniff and then took a long sip, oblivious to the six murderous eyes glaring his direction. Smiling, the tyrant said, "So, Vegeta. The choice is all yours."

Vegeta squeezed his hands into a fist and stole a glance at both Trunks and then darted his eyes on the floating screen. Within the screen, he could clearly see Bulma lying on the dark ground surrounded by stalagmite; her complexion paler than he ever remembered. What was really twisting his stomach was not her complexion; it was the pool of blood beside her. There was no enemy, but he could feel her pain. Even when the screen had no audio, he could see her lips moving. He could see her calling for him or more like cursing him.

He was a warrior, a ruthless one. He didn't even blink when he had killed with his bare hands while looking in the eyes of those he killed. These humans were treacherous, even more so than the tyrant before him. They might be weaklings, but they knew how to sneak in those so called human feelings when he least expected it. When did Bulma and Trunks cast their spells on him? When did they turn him into a weak fool? The past him would have just walked out of this mess without looking back. The past him could have cared less of their fate.

When he had fought alone, he was responsible for his own life, and only his. It was so much simpler then. Now, he had baggage, heavy baggage that he couldn't discard. Hell, he had discovered that he didn't even want to discard them. Vegeta fixed his now stone cold eyes at the screen once more.

Vegeta knew that they could not leave here unless they defeat this sissy and he also knew that the tyrant had full control over this world. The ability to read minds and manipulate spaces were a dead giveaway, which meant the tyrant could not be destroyed.

Vegeta averted his eyes to the fake son from the future. "How do I know you'll keep your words?" Even he noticed his voice was unexceptionally emotionless. He had once been a killer, with blood in his hand...

"Dad, you can't! He's just messing with you like he did to me!"

"Do you really have another choice, Vegeta? You should know by now that this is my world. I can take away all your powers if I so wish or enhance it if I feel like it."

The older Trunks dropped his good arm and let go of his sword. Vegeta heard the sword pierced through the resistance of the wind. Vegeta followed the fallen blade until it impaled the rocky boulder. Vegeta returned to older Trunks. The boy was smiling. "Father, do it."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **We all know Vegeta will not pick choice number one right? What about number two? Or does he have other plans? Hmmmm...

About Bulma's labor, I was too lazy to do an in-depth research on how long it takes to deliver a baby. Accordingly to friends and family, it varies from people to people. All I have to say is, if I have some facts wrong, please go easy on me. ^_^


	23. Chapter 22 Decision

**A/N: **Sorry for the extremely late chapter! I spent way too much time on this chapter and still don't like how it came out. I can either spend another month on it or release it as is. I hope someone out there enjoys it more than I did...

As always, thank you KimiruMai, GTIGERFAN1, Cityracer, pannybaby123 and threeam inkblot for reviewing and to all the readers for reading!

* * *

><p><strong>Game of Life<strong>**  
><strong>**Chapter 22 - Decision**

* * *

><p>Goten bent his knees, slided sideways across the plain using only toes and heels, and finally arched to his side with a finger pointing out, one on each hand. Gohan nodded and noted how the angle of Goten's body was precisely ninety degree to the left.<p>

After returning to a straight posture, Goten waved and shouted, "Gohan, do you want me to show you again?"

"I want to give it a try this time." Gohan flopped his back on the ground and flipped forward, springing his body to a stand. Compared to the moves Videl and he invented for their Saiyaman's pose, this little dance was rather tamed, so Gohan did not feel even a bit embarrassed when he began. "So, Goten, how did it feel to merge body with Trunks?" Gohan asked as he moved into position, starting with bending his knees, making sure his heels were connected.

His brother plopped on the ground and leaned back, using his hands as a support. "We were so young then-"

Gohan let out a short laugh. "Little brother, you're still so young," Gohan pointed out with a mischievous smirk.

"Hey! I'm grown up now!"

"Sure, sure. Kids, just because they're older than last year, they think they're all grown up."

"That's not nice!"

"I'm just teasing you," Gohan laughed. The laugh was good. Already he could feel his tensed muscles relaxing. It was good to forget the troubles even for a short while. "Am I doing this right?" Gohan asked when he moved across the plain, mirroring Goten's earlier action.

"You need to make sure your toes and heels always touch."

"This is harder than it looks."

"Yeah, it took us longer than twenty minutes to get this right."

Gohan started over again. This time he paid more attention to the position of his toes and heels. "So how did it feel?

"It was a weird feeling. It was like both our heads were thrown into a whirlpool and then spit back out into one being. We don't even know who was doing the thinking. Sometime it was Trunks and sometime it felt like me..." Goten paused and raised his head to the sky. "I wonder how Trunks' doing?"

There was a brief silence. Gohan felt guilty for leaving Vegeta and Trunks within the system, escaping all by himself. On top of that, he had not brought Bulma to safety as intended. Buu was now their biggest threat. Before defeating him, they would not stand a chance. "Vegeta will bring him back. I know he will."

Goten sighed heavily as if blowing out a steam of bottled air. "Gohan...Trunks is the biggest brat, always bossing me around. I let him because it's easier than fighting him."

"Bossiness runs in the family." Gohan shrugged.

Dropping his head, Goten continued, "If only I fought with him that time, none of this would have happened."

Gohan paused in between his stretches. "Goten, life is full of 'ifs' and 'what ifs'. We can't change the past. We can only do what we can in the present to change the future. Trunks is not gone yet."

"Gohan, you're so wise."

"Wisdom comes with age. Someday, you'll sound just as 'wise' as us adults."

His little brother snorted, "You're still a kid, Gohan. Dad is much older than you."

"So he is," Gohan chuckled. "Come on, Goten. Time to get serious."

Goten nodded. "Right and it's time to get Trunks back."

* * *

><p>Videl had witnessed and even experienced extreme pain. During the tournament, she had unluckily battled with an unexpected strong enemy who had broken multiple bones in her body and had sent her straight to the ICU. She had felt like her body was crushed by the a thousand tons of steel, rocks and even a couple of mountains. However, looking at Bulma who was on the verge of giving birth to a new life, the pain she had felt was so miniscule compared to the pain of labour.<p>

"Damn you to hell, Vegeta!" Bulma screamed with crazed eyes; her head thrashing around. Videl grounded her teeth and held her breath when Bulma twisted her fingers back until she felt like all the tiny bones dislocated from their sockets.

"Bulma, you have to calm down," Chi Chi said in a controlled and soothing voice, holding Bulma's other hand while brushing the damp lock of hair from Bulma's forehead. It took Videl by surprise when Chi Chi first used that tone since her mother-in-law tended to overreact to lots of situation. Even her normal talking voice were higher in pitch. Videl shifted her eyes from the wailing and cursing Bulma to the controlled Chi Chi. At least someone in this cave had some sanity left.

Bulma let out one more scream before dropping her head onto the makeshift pillow. Her breathing was heavy. She let go of Videl's sore hand and dropped it to her side.

"Chi Chi, this can't go on," Videl said with a frown. They had tried to stop the flowing blood for the last fifteen minutes but to no avail. Chi Chi had confirmed that blood loss was definitely not part of the labour. "We have to get her to a doctor."

"You told me the city's in chaos. How are we doing to find one? We can still manage if it's just labour, but I'm not a doctor. I can't treat the blood loss. If she loses anymore, she won't have the energy to push when the time comes."

"How much longer?" Videl asked, hating the fact that she was useless.

"I don't know..."

The card entrusted to Videl by Bulma laid beside her. Somehow, Bulma thought this was the key to end all their current dilemma. If that was true, then perhaps, the city would go back to normal and then they could find help for Bulma. Videl reached over, swiped the card from the ground and stood up. "Chi Chi, I have to go."

With a nod, Chi Chi said, "Go. I'll take care of Bulma."

"Tell Gohan to go straight to Capsule Corps. I'm sure he'll have a better chance at Bulma's machine than me," Videl said as she took one last look at Bulma and her mother-in-law. "Do you think the baby will be okay?"

"For Bulma's sake, let's hope so. The worst thing that can happen to a mother is the lost of a child, especially an unborn one."

Videl gripped the card tighter and nodded. She had always wondered if her mother blamed her for giving her life at the expenses of her own. Seeing Bulma's plead to save the baby and even forsaken her own life, Videl knew her mother probably had the same selfless thoughts. Videl swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "Chi Chi, I'll come back as soon as I can if I don't see Gohan. Keep Bulma safe." With that, Videl proceeded to the cave entrance.

* * *

><p>Vegeta was aware that all were waiting for this next move. He stared blankly at the older Trunks in front of him. For the first time, Vegeta had the fate of his family in his hand, including the son from the future who was neither real or fake. His family...when did they become so important? What made them so important in his life?<p>

It was strange. Now that he asked himself the question, his mind wandered back to snippet of the conversations he had with them.

* * *

><p><em>"What the hell are you staring at?<em>

_"You."_

_"Why, did I grow another head?"_

_"I wish. If you did, then I can stare at two of you. Good eye candy."_

_"Hmph."_

_"How cute! You're blushing!"_

_"Shut your nonsense. I do not blush, vile human!"_

_"Vegeta. I'm the luckiest woman in the world. You're always here-"_

_"Not like I have much choice."_

_"But you do. You can leave this mudball planet whenever you want and I can do nothing to stop you."_

_"Don't start giving me ideas."_

_"So Vegeta, will my dark prince save a damsel in distress if her life is in peril?"_

_"Oh please, Bulma. You are no damn damsel. If anything, you should be the one saving me from distress. Devil knows you human finds joys in irritating poor souls like me."_

_"You're such a grump."_

_"Never claimed to be anything else."_

_"One of these days, you will cross a sea of fire with a sword in your hand, well, maybe not a sword...anyways, you will slay an army of foul creatures just to save me from those horrible beasts. I will swoon and fall in love with you all over again!"_

_"Hmph. Dream on, woman. And stop reading those silly books."_

* * *

><p>Bulma had wished it. Now it was up to him to fulfill it.<p>

* * *

><p><em>"Are you still mad?"<em>

_"Hmph. Brat, if your mother let me kill you, you'll be dead a hundred times over."_

_"Come on, dad! It's not so bad. It came off quite easily."_

_"You are to stay away from me for the rest of your miserable life."_

_"Awww...I said I was sorry!"_

_"Hmph."_

_"Dad? You got to admit, you look pretty darn good with that color."_

_"Say anymore and I will not care what your mother says."_

_"Fine. I'll go back to my room."_

_"Wait."_

_"Yeah?!"_

_"What is the worst you did to Kakarott?"_

_"Not much. He's no fun. I mean he'll just laugh. He thinks it's funny."_

_"So you're saying you brats pick me because I don't think it's funny?!"_

_"...well...yeah...you have a better reaction than Goten's dad..."_

_"Trunks, until you successfully annoyed that brainless fool, do not come back home. Now pack your stuff and leave!"_

_"But..."_

_"Go!"_

* * *

><p>He wondered if he had, at that point in time, truly meant for Trunks to never return.<p>

* * *

><p><em>"Vegeta...you're going to be there, right?"<em>

_"Be where?"_

_"In the delivery room."_

_"Why should I?"_

_"You weren't there when Trunks was born..."_

_"And?"_

_"I want you to be there. I want you to witness the birth of our daughter."_

_"Stupid human custom."_

_"Listen, bastard! It's not easy shitting out something the size of a watermelon. The least you man can do is be there as a support!"_

_"Hmph. I'll think about it."_

* * *

><p>He had not given it another thought until now.<p>

* * *

><p><em>"Dad, I have so much fun today. Thank you!" <em>

_"Hmph. You can fly faster than all those stupid rides you went on. I don't see the fun in that."_

_"You didn't have fun?"_

_"What do you think? I didn't want to be here in the first place."_

_"I figure. You only came here because of your promise."_

_"That's right."_

_"..."_

_"Oh, stop with your pouting!"_

_"I'm not pouting!"_

_"Yes you are!"_

_"Hehehehe. Dad?"_

_"What?"_

_"I have fun anyways...because today, it's just you and me."_

_"Whatever."_

* * *

><p>Vegeta made up his mind. He knew what he had to do and he was not going to like it one bit.<p>

* * *

><p>Trunks stood in midair facing his dad and his older self as they stared at each other, one without a hint of emotion and the other filled with a mixture of resignation and determination. Trunks wanted to interfere, stepped between them and called them out for being crazy but the silence was so potent that it had created a poisonous mist, immobilizing Trunks' limb and his ability to utter a sound.<p>

The flicker of indecisiveness that had flashed through his dad's dark eyes mixed with intense worry was enough to unease Trunks. To Trunks, his dad was always strong and powerful; weakness was just not in his dad's blood. No one could defeat his dad! However, today...Trunks had found his dad's one and only weakness...his family...Trunks realized as the full brunt of guilt clenched around his stomach. It was he who had caused his mom's suffering which had given Tysfia a leverage.

He wanted to scream at his dad to leave! Forget about him and save his mom who was clearly in pain. Those words did leave his mouth but his dad had scolded him. In truth, Trunks didn't want to stay in here despite what he had said. He was scared to be alone again. Trunks bit hard on his lower lip to suppress the unwanted memories of his isolation. The time he had spent alone was not fun and he did not want to ever experience it again.

Trunks turned to his dad and saw the dark pupils darted to the suspended screen and quickly back at the older Trunks, so quick Trunks wondered if those eyes had moved at all. Trunks did not dare look into the screen. When he first glanced at it and saw his mom in such a horrible state, it took every bit of energy to stop himself from crying like a baby he was. Tears was not welcomed at time like this, especially in front of his dad.

Still locked on his dad, Trunks wondered what was going to be his decision. Surely his dad knew Tysfia was messing with them, though if his dad thought they could defeat Tysfia, he would have acted by now, right?

Next, Trunk glanced at his older counterpart. For some reason, he hated the fact his older self showed no fear even when facing his own demise. While the fear still lingered in Trunks' bone, the older Trunks stood unwavering with a grim smile. They had reconciled their earlier heated encounter, but Trunks felt another pang of jealousy as he saw no traces of cowardice in his older counterpart. Trunks shook his head. It was this jealousy that had gotten him in trouble the past days. He contained it, pushing it to the depth of his mind. He could not afford to cause his dad's further problem.

"Well, well, well, I say this is quite a development," Tysfia mused, taking another sip from his conjured cup. "What will you do, Vegeta? I can't wait to find out!"

Trunks threw his head sideway and shot a menacing glare at the physical form of the voice. Tysfia sat on top of the tallest tree, swinging his legs in a childish manner, focusing intently on his dad and the older Trunks. Trunks scowled. At this moment, he no longer feared his captor. All he felt now was hatred and disgust toward the one who had forced his dad into a cursed decision. He wanted so much to pound the living crap out of Tysfia.

From the corner of his eyes, Trunks saw his dad lifted his arm and stretched it before him, aiming directly at the older Trunks. With wide eyes, Trunks quickly turned his attention back. _Crap! His dad is really going to do it!_ Without so many words, Trunks could tell his dad liked the older Trunks, if not, his dad would not have searched for the older Trunks. His older self stood with hand supporting his broken arm, smiling resignedly.

This was wrong. This was all wrong! His dad was not cold-hearted, at least, not anymore. _This is cruel! _His dad was going to kill someone he actually liked. He had to stop this nonsense! _But what about mom? _If they couldn't escape, his mom would be the one in trouble! No! He had to stop this! This mom would agree with him. She would not want to see his dad willingly or unwillingly kill.

Trunks rushed to his dad. "Dad! No!" Once there, Trunks grabbed a wrist and tried his hardest to pull it back. Already, he could feel the ki surging though his dad's flesh. Trunks pulled and pulled but his dad refused to budge. "Dad, there must another way!"

"Move, Trunks," his dad warned in a chilling voice. Even so, Trunks stubbornly continued to pull.

"Mom will never agree to this!"

He sensed his muscle twitched.

"She does not have to know," his older self said, paused and then continued with a slight frown, "Trunks, I'm a product of this world. Sooner or later, I'll disappear. If it means saving your family, I'm more than willing to trade my existence for yours."

Why did the older Trunks' words pissed him off, Trunks did not know. Trunks' earlier thought of the older Trunks' bravery was no more. "Stop playing hero! I don't need your sacrifice! You think what you're doing is brave and selfless? Don't you think what you're doing is cruel to my dad?!" Trunks spat and almost choked from shouting.

His dad flinched again. The older Trunks lowered his gaze. Trunks had never felt so frustrated in his life. _Why do adults always think they can just throw their life away without a thought of those they leave behind?! _His dad did it once and it was the worst feeling in the world especially when his dad did it for him and his mom! And it was happening again...To make matter worse, he had brought this upon them with his childish and insecure feeling.

"Please, dad! You can't do this! Mom will be pissed!"

"Move!" his dad warned again. This time, his dad pushed him out of the way.

"I'm going to cry! This is just too good! Go, Vegeta!"

The second Trunks whipped his head back to the bastard, a light appeared from the corner of his eyes. He gasped.

* * *

><p>Behind him, the merry cheering increased, urging Vegeta to hurry. Trunks paid the voice no heed. He prayed that Tysfia would keep his words to set his father and younger self free and that his father would truly commit to seeing this through. Trunks knew this was cruel to his father but even worse was the possibility of his father and younger self's continued entrapment; trapped in this foul world while forced to watch idly as his mother struggled onto life. There had been a glimmer of worry before his father once again put on that stoic mask. It was then when Trunks had let the cruel words flew from his mouth, asking his father to commit murder on the one who shared the same face and name as his true son.<p>

Trunks let his lids covered his eyes. In its concealed darkness, he could hear his younger self gasped. If at all possible, he wished his younger self did not have to witness this. Trunks lowered his head until his chin rested upon his chest. He felt the warmth of his father's ki approaching. Trunks cracked a hidden smile beneath the veil of his fine hair. Strangely, in his last moment, his thought was not of his father but of his younger self's accusation, accusing him of playing hero. Hero he was not. If he was a hero, he would have destroyed the filthy scum and spared his father this torturous act. No. Trunks was a coward for not searching a better way to end the fiend's life. Trunks took the easy way out. His body shook as the warmth became warmer. He willed his body back to calmness, hiding his fear so his father could not witness his weakness. The warmth became stifling hot. His end was near. Beneath his breath, Trunks whispered, "Take care, father."

Trunks waited for the impact.

It never came.

Trunks threw his eyes opened and saw his father controlling a golden trail that swerved passed him, almost singed his shoulder as it continued its path. Before Trunks could turn around, he heard an explosion from behind. He whipped his body around. When he finally spot the source, he saw a single tree in the foreground engulfed in fiery flames. Like a match caught on fire, the evergreen bushes that were grounded in the cervices of the rocky mountain lit up one by one. Soon, the land turned into a sea of fire.

Instead of waiting for the smoke to fan out, Trunks swept his gaze across the vast landscape and sky, half expecting Tysfia to escape the blast as he had done countless time. Trunks was utterly surprised the creature was no where in sight. Without a second thought, Trunks returned to the dispersing smoke; thin grey mist spread apart, making an opening in front of the burning tall and once sturdy evergreen tree.

"So you're not infallible after all," his father said with a short snort.

As the creature appeared, for the first time, the smug and forever amused look was stripped from its face, replaced by an exasperated and twisted expression. Creases formed on its once flawless skin and around the thinly slit eyes. Below the neck, an electrical shock fizzed from the hole on the right shoulder down the length of its arm. Tysfia was injured was the only thought ringing through Trunks' mind. His father managed to hurt the foul creature. But how? Trunks twisted his body back to his father who was behind him, exuding with rightful confidence.

"Dad, you scared the living hell out of me! I thought you're really going to kill Trunks!"

"Hmph. I'll save your mother my way," his father said, a smirk emerged from the corner of his lips. He then stared at the fragmented figure. "I'll be damn if you think I'll take orders from some bloodless losers."

Tysfia pulled his palm from his forehead all the way down the rest of his face. Like an actor putting on a theatrical act, the twisted expression disappeared. The annoying amused look returned. "I admit I've underestimated you, Vegeta. I never thought you're such a good actor, physically and mentally," Tysfia said in an unexpected light-hearted voice and then raised a hand in the air. Trunks tensed and readied himself for an attack that never came. Instead, Tysfia snapped his fingers and dark fabric began to stitch a patch around the hollow hole.

Despite feeling silly for offering his life and as it seemed - unnecessary - Trunks was hit with a case of curiosity. He wanted to know exactly how his father managed to land a blow when all their previous attempts had failed. Trunks wanted to ask and was about to, but his younger self cut him off with the same question.

Young Trunks moved beside Vegeta and asked, voice oozing with intense curiosity. "Dad, how did you do it!?"

His father's arms returned to its former position, across his bloody chest. Though bloody, Trunks could tell the wound was starting to heal, at least compared to a short hour ago. While Trunks was not a true Saiyan, he too, felt the muscles and bones mending.

With a cocky laugh, his father answered as he eyed Tysfia. "You're not so tough if you have no control over our mind."

Of course. The solution was so simple that Trunks was surprised he had not thought of it. While he had succumbed to the hopelessness of the situation, his father had stayed calm and did not relent to their fate. In a matter of minutes, his father had unraveled their opponent's weakness and formulate a counterattack. As for him, Trunks did not even try.

Tysfia made his way toward them while dusting the debris from his clothing. "Nice one, Vegeta. I give you that," Tysfia said, pausing midway and rubbed his chin, "You could have blocked me from your head, but you have chosen to fool me with your sweet memories instead." A grin appeared on his fair face. "Here I thought you're going to give in easily."

"Hmph. Free us and I promise I'll leave you with a whole corpse."

"I won't gloat too soon, Vegeta. It was only one lucky shot and the same trick will not work twice on me. But if you want to play, I'm more than happy to oblige," Tysfia finished with a slight bow. The creature raised his head to his younger self, scanning him from head to toe, and his grin turned to a smirk. "It seems I have not raised a high enough stake. Obviously, the welfare of your wife is not enough to pressure you." With his eyes still on his younger self, Tysfia continued, "I can definitely fix that." When he finished his sentence, Tysfia straightened and snapped his fingers.

From the corner of his eyes, Trunks saw his younger self let out a sharp cry. As if someone had pull the platform away from his feet, young Trunks started to drop with arms and legs flapping wildly.

"Shit! I can't fly!"

Instinctively, Trunks sped down and held his hand out, desperately trying to grab onto any pieces of his younger self's clothing. His father followed. "Father, I'll take care of Trunks! Defeat Tysfia!" Trunks yelled without looking back. He heard a growl and a few curses. Even further behind, he heard a wild, uncontrollable, taunting laugh. He ignored them and increased his speed. Trunks managed to snatch the neckline of young Trunks' T-shirt, almost choking the kid. Trunks grimaced when he realized he caught his younger self with the wrong arm. The jerk caused his healing muscle to tear apart again. With gritted teeth and clamored shut eyes, Trunks held on, using every ounce of energy to keep the kid afloat. He gave himself a few seconds before opening his eyes, only to find young Trunks' leg dangling inches away from the rocky terrain.

That was so damn close.

Slowly, Trunks lowered his younger self. When he felt young Trunks' feet securely on the ground, he quickly let go of the fabric. He rubbed his shoulder, trying his best to ease the burning pain. Trunks examined the younger Trunks and relieved to find the kid relatively unharmed, just a bit shaken. Satisfied with his examination, Trunks finally asked, "Trunks, what did he do to you?"

"I don't know. I suddenly felt like all my ki was gone," Trunks explained as he flexed his fingers as if trying to summon his power.

Trunks was glad he listened to his instinct. Normally, a fall like this would not do much damage to the body. However, without the ki's protection, it would highly unlikely that young Trunks could escape with just a few scrapes and scratches.

As if reading his thoughts, the boy glanced up at the sky and then the ground, probably mentally calculating the distance. "That was close!" his younger self exclaimed as he wiped a bead of sweat from the forehead.

Trunks stepped forward, the movement agitating his hanging arm. When Trunks winced, his younger self furrowed his brows. "You're hurt."

"It's nothing," Trunks shrugged.

"I'm sorry."

"This is not your fault."

"I mean I'm sorry for the words I said earlier."

"What you said was true. I'm cruel for putting father in that situation."

His younger self shook his head. "I blamed you because I...I..."

"You don't have to say anything," Trunks forced a smile.

Trunks searched for his father and found him hovering above. Although his father was short in stature, one would not disagree that this Saiyan was fierce, commanding and very fitting to the title he held as the prince of a very ancient and powerful race. Tysfia had left the burning trees to stand before his father, towering over the short man, beaming as if he had won the war before it even started.

This was one of the most confusing enemy ever. Unlike the androids whose sole purpose was to destroy, Trunks could not find a viable reason why Tysfia was so intended to toy with them and not outright killed them. At least the androids could blame their destructive nature on their creators. What about Tysfia? What reason did he have? Revenge? Not likely since they had never met. World domination? Wouldn't that be easier if they were out of the way? Trunks had a sinking feeling that this creature was toying with them because he could and did not need a reason to do so. As far as Trunks was concerned, this was the worst type of enemy and the most despicable.

If his father was furious of the treatment of his son, his father did not show as his face was now blank. Trunks knew what his father was trying to do. To keep his mind empty so Tysfia could not read his move. _Will it work? _Trunks hoped so. It was a shame the first shot did not destroy the fiend.

"You should help dad."

Trunks shook his head. "No, father has a plan and we'll just be in his way."

"How do you know that?"

"Do you really think father didn't think about killing me?" Trunks lowered his eyes to the ground, escaping his younger self's gaze. "He would have if he didn't have another choice. I mean, my life is nothing compared to yours and mother's so unless father had another plan, I doubt he'd attack as he did."

His younger self's face suddenly twisted in anger. "You don't know dad at all! If he didn't like you, he wouldn't give a shit if you're dead or not!"

"You also think he was going to go through with it," Trunks pointed out.

"Yeah, well..." his younger self stammered. He kicked a pile of loose rocks, letting them rolled down a slight slope. "Well, obviously, I don't know dad that well either. I certainly didn't think he'd come in here to save me. I didn't think he was going to hug me again..." his younger self trailed, cheeks growing slightly pink, probably from remembering the earlier incidents.

Trunks looked up at the two figures above. There had not been any movement between the two. Their mouths were moving and Tysfia still sported that annoying smug and all knowing look. "It doesn't matter how well we know our dear father. If you don't get out of here alive, there'll not other chance to get to know him better."

"You said dad has a plan."

"Can you feel your ki?"

There was a moment of silence when his younger self tried to summon his ki and then shook his head.

Sighing, Trunks watched his younger self. "Let's hope Tysfia doesn't pull the same trick on father."

His younger self's eyes widened with trepidation and let out a silent 'oh no'.

Trunks nodded. "The element of surprise is gone and now it's even tougher to destroy the bastard."

_If only his father could harden his resolve to kill him. However slim, it was their only chance to leave._

* * *

><p>Vegeta lowered his eyes to the ground where he saw his son sat cross-legged, conversing with the older one. The older one had freely offered his life and truth to be told, there was a moment when Vegeta had seriously thought about it. Then his pride kicked in full force. He, the prince of Saiyans, would never -ever -listen to an adversary of his. Doing so would mean he was defeated before he even tried. He had meant it when he told Trunks he'd save the boy's mother his way, the Saiyan way, even if it meant leaving Bulma to her fate a little longer. She'd understand since she was the wife of the greatest fighter. Besides, his woman was not one to give up. She would survive.<p>

His memories had served as a distraction to fool that bastard into thinking he was serious about choosing Trunks' death in favor of his freedom. It had worked and it really pissed him off that he had overshot the damn blast. Had his aim been true, the bastard would be burned to the crisp. Of all the enemies he had faced so far, this one was the most frustrating and infuriating. If the sissy bastard faced him in a hand to hand combat and not run like a damn coward, Vegeta had no doubt he defeat him.

He knew that the same trick would not work again and knew the upper hand and confidence he had gained earlier was ebbing away. Vegeta folded his arms across his chest and forced himself to ignore his sons who were safely on the ground. He locked onto the bastard who stood only yards away. It seemed that there were more tricks that the bastard had yet to release. Vegeta had no doubt that stripping Trunks of his power was a warning that the bastard still had the upper hand in this tiresome battle.

"Too bad. Wouldn't it be nice to see your son's body plastered all over. It'll definitely bring some needed color to this awfully monotone land."

He could feel his veins pushing against his forehead, but Vegeta said nothing. He would not allow that bastard to provoke him to attack out of anger. A cool head was the deciding factor to winning or losing this battle. "What do you intend to do, _sissy_?" Vegeta asked flatly, his voice betrayed nothing.

"Ah. Name calling. I really don't appreciate it. I rather you called me by my name, Tysfia," the bastard sighed, "I really hate being called a sissy and a bastard when I'm neither," the bastard pouted. "Come on, Vegeta, be a good sport and call me Tysfia," the bastard said, his voice coming real close to a grating whine.

"Sissy." Why the hell he was wasting time playing games with this bastard? He should get moving and show the sissy exactly what a true Saiyan was capable of. Nobody made a fool out of him and lived to see another day.

A smile appeared on the bastard face. "Pride. Such a wonderful thing. How I will enjoy when I wipe your so called pride away!" the bastard crossed his arms and watched the boys with a queer expression as if he found the boys fascinating. "I wonder if this will change your mind."

The bastard removed a hand from the folded position and snapped his fingers. This action was seriously getting on Vegeta's nerve. If Vegeta could do nothing else, he'd make sure that he'd break every damn bones in those fingers.

"Before you think about breaking my fingers, you should concentrate on your poor boy's safety first, don't you think?" The bastard pointed down to where the boys were chit-chatting. His eyes followed. To his horror, Vegeta saw a whirlpool in the middle of the river and suddenly five spikes of water spiraled into the air and then swirled into spheres.

Without thinking, his body moved and when he hit a barrier, Vegeta let out a succession of colorful curses. "Bastard!" he roared as he threw a few ki blast, attempting to penetrate the damn invisible wall. When his ki exploded without passing the barrier, Vegeta cursed again.

"Call me Tysfia and I'll let you through."

"Like hell I will!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I have to break this chapter up. The original version was simply to long to cover in one even if I did cut out Gohan and Videl's part. The next chapter should be up within a week since I've already written half of it. Though, I should not make any promises! Heh!

Thanks for reading and sticking around!


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